A Civil Society Organization, Connected Development (CODE), has accused the Federal Government of lack of transparency in the handling of the N9.2 billion clean cook stoves contract.
The group queried why the conditions and contents of the contract awarded to Messrs Integral Renewable Energy Services Limited have been kept secret from public consumption by the government.
The Chief Executive, CODE, Hamzat Lawal, also kicked against plans to terminate the N9.2 billion clean cook stoves contract on the account that the contractor
According to him, the contract needs to continue because of the high rate of death encountered by women in the rural area due to constant exposure to smoke from the use of firewood for cooking.
The clean cook stoves is a federal government initiative which is aimed at reducing the level at which trees are fallen for firewood in the rural area by procuring clean cook stoves for the rural women.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Nana Mede had announced that the N9.2 billion contract may be canceled due to the inability of the contractor to meet up with the terms of contract.
But Lawal wondered what will become of the N1.3 billion which was paid to the contractor, if the government will retrieve the money from the contractor.
He also queried if the Permanent Secretary has the power to terminate a contract awarded by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Lawal called on the government to embark on massive public awareness in the grassroots in order to teach the rural women how to use the stoves.