The Federal Ministry of Environment has canceled the N9.2 billion clean cook stoves and wonder bags contract, initiated by the former administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan for rural women under the national clean cooking scheme.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs Fatima Mede, said the German contractor, who was given three months to supply 750,000 units of the stove and 18,000 wonder bags under the scheme, had failed on his part to deliver the items.
Mrs. Mede confirmed that five billion Naira had been released to the Ministry by the government out of which the contractor has received only N1.3 billion.
The permanent secretary, however, urged Nigerians not to be apprehensive over the remaining N3.7 billion in the ministry’s coffers, which according to her remains untouched.
She pointed out that the stoves, which were to be assembled locally, were meant to provide jobs to Nigerians among other benefits.
It would be recalled that two days to the end of the past administration, then Vice President, Arc. Namadi Sambo, unveiled a few of the clean cook stoves at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.