The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Nana Fatima Mede has declined further comments on the clean cook stove contract, maintaining that the matter is already in court and that further public comments on it may be sub-judice.
Fatima Mede who was reacting to series of inquiries and request for interviews on the N9.2 billion clean cook stove contract from journalist who have inundated her office in recent days said the clarification has become necessary in order to reduce the pressure from rampaging journalist as well as keep the rules. She therefore advised journalists who are interested in reporting the matter to do so from court proceedings as hearing on the matter progresses.
It will be recalled that before the contractor took the Ministry to court over the clean cook stove contract, the Permanent Secretary had in a Press chat told journalist that the contractor Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited had brought some of the items which were being assembled by the contractor at the Velodrome of the National Stadium in Abuja.
A statement by Ben. Bem Goong ,deputy director (Press) in the ministry said the Permanent Secretary explained that the Ministry’s next line of action on the contract will be contingent upon completion of the assemblage, counting and actual supply and receipt processes, adding that the final process in the receipt of the items will be the issuance of a Certificate of performance by the Ministry.
