Desert Herald in an exclusive investigation reveals how officials of the Bauchi Ministry for Local Government affairs connive to corner billions into their private pockets through shoddy deals.
In a receipted petition dated August 21, 2019, issued by an anti-corruption group and signed by Mr. Debo Adeniran as the Director-General of CACOL, it was alleged that on December 31, 2018, the State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs vide letter Ref. No. MLGA/ADM/S/333/T, had awarded a contract to Wuro Suyo Investment Nigeria Limited, Bauchi for the supply of Agro-Allied Chemicals for a fumigation exercise at primary schools blocks and other public buildings at the contract sum of N418, 425,000.00 which was neither advertized for bidding nor made public.
The petitioners had alleged that the said Wuro Suyo Investment Nigeria Limited did not at any time tender or solicited for the said contract but the company’s platform was used by one Yusuf Abdullahi of ATAP who is suspected to be a front used to allegedly divert public funds under the guise of the said contract.
In the exclusive petition which was obtained by DESERT HERALD, thepetitioners stated that from an in-depth investigation conducted by this mediumwithin five local government areas of the state;- Bauchi, Alkaleri, Warji,Ningi and Ganjuwa, reveals that such an exercise was never conducted in any ofthe existing public schools and buildings anywhere as claimed, stating that onaward of the supply of the Agro-Allied chemicals, the Corporate Account of oneNazir Gidado (Managing Director of Wuro-Suyo Investment Nigeria Limited) wascredited with the sum of N186, 200,000.00 being 50% of the total contract sumas mobilization fee.
It was revealed that the said down payment of 50% mobilization violates thetenets of Financial Regulation and Public Procurement Act of 2010 if properlyexamined although, Bauchi State Edict is said to have authorized a mobilizationfee of up to 60%.
“The, said contract was awarded to Yusuf Abdullahi of ATAP as hiscontact address while the platform of WURO SUYO INVESTMENT NIGERIA LIMITED wasused as there is no trace of where the said exercise was conducted to justifythe expended amount despite several unsubstantiated claims by the permanentsecretary of the embattled ministry, Ali Babayo.
DESERT HERALD learnt that Yusuf Abdullahi was hurriedly dragged to theEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Wuro Suyo Investment NigeriaLimited for reneging on the agreement of payment of 10% of the total contractsum to the company for the use of their platform.
“In a letter dated 20th February, 2019 addressed to Yusuf Abdullahi by AN-NURCHAMBERS on behalf of Wuro Suyo Investment Nigeria Limited for the immediatepayment of the sum of N38.2 million being 10% of the proceed of contractexecuted by Wuro Suyo Investment Nigeria Limited and some vital documents ofthe company, AN-NUR chambers demanded among other things the immediate paymentof the demanded sum alongside the following vital documents within 7 (seven)days of service of that notice.
The documents include;- the contract agreement, certificate of dueprocess, progress pictures of the contract execution, letters of certificationof contract execution from each of the 20 local government areas andcertificate of completion of contract and receipt of revenue of the company inrespect of the contract.
“Responding to the letter of AN-NUR CHAMBERS, K. Magaji &Associates, Solicitors to Yusuf Abdullahi stated that their client had earlierreceipted a letter dated January 17, 2019 from Sahel Chambers and the partieshad sat and resolved their differences on January 30, 2019.
The case was later amicably resolved and withdrawn from EFCC after theintervention of legal practitioners of both parties on the agreement of thepayment of N15million in two installments for the withdrawal of the case fromEFCC. As contained in the agreement, Yusufu was to pay the sum of N7.5millionon June 25, 2019 while the remaining balance shall be paid on the day Wuro SuyoInvestment Nigeria Limited withdraws it’s’ complain from EFCC.
“The Ministry was allegedly aware of the incapacitation of YusufAbdullahi to handle such an important contract that was suspiciously awarded tohim without having a qualified company and without bidding but invited possiblyto serve as a ‘front’ for the scam as stated.
“If not for fraud, how was Yusuf Abdullahi considered suitable for thecontract without valid particulars as required by law?”
In compliance with the ethics of the journalism profession ofbalancing, a copy of the said petition was reproduced in print by this mediumfor the perusal of the State Ministry for Local Governments and ChieftaincyAffairs officials and addressed to the Hon. Commissioner which was receipted bythe permanent secretary, Ali Babayo with a request to have their response,possibly with supporting documents to justify the award of the contract andexecution, including the list of those public schools and buildings thatbenefitted from the exercise which can be identified for further verificationfor objectivity. That was not done within the agreed period. Instead, it was acook and bull story of defense while dodging the main substance.
“We shall also be glad to know if it is within the Constitutionalpowers and operational guidelines of the ministry to award contracts forfumigation of public schools and public buildings in the local government areasas was the case in question”.
Reacting to the petition, the permanent secretary in the company ofall the directors and Yusuf Abdullahi said: “Wuro Suyo Investment NigeriaLimited was overpaid the sum of N9million which was reported to EFCC in respectof the contract. We are waiting for that refund and the contract was executed.There was no scam as claimed”. That was a claim, which Ali Babayo failedwoefully to prove with convincing facts for conviction.
The lingering question begging for answer that should be handled by anti-corruption agencies to expose any possible fraud and diversion of public funds is why was the contract awarded to Yusuf Abdullahi who had no registered company of his own and the ministry was involved in the private affair that ensued between Wuro Suyo Investment Nigeria Limited and Yusuf Abdullahi? And why was the contract overpaid as claimed by Ali Babayo? And why was the clause in the official Award of Contract Agreement of not TRANSFERING AWARDED CONTRACT or letting out to another person or party violated in this case and protected?
It could be recalled that it is the same ministry that awarded contracts for the supply of mahogany and loin cloth for the burial of the dead at Bauchi central Muslim cemetery at over N2.3billion in four years to some unregistered companies.
This investigation was originally published on DESERT HERALD. Read the full article here
