Nigeria, Oct. 20 -- Former Minister of Power and Steel, Liyel Imoke, said Monday that the controversial Mambilla Hydropower station contract was awarded by his predecessor Olu Agunloye with the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Mr Imoke said it was unnecessary to formally cancel the contract after he assumed office, because the contract never received the blessing of the FEC in the first place.

The former Cross River State governor was fielding questions at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, where he appeared as the sixth prosecution witness in Mr Agunloye's corruption trial.

Mr Imoke succeeded Mr Agunloye as the power minister in July 2003 and served until January 2007, during former President Olusegun Obasanjo...