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N5.2Bn REA Scam:
How Gekpe, Six Others violated Procurement
Act- BPE
EFCC Press Release Dec 1,2011
Lamorde:EFCC boss
A Federal Capital
Territory, FCT High
Court, sitting in Abuja, and
presided over
by Justice Adebunkola Banjoko
was on Tuesday, November 29th , 2011 told
that Engr. Samuel Ibi Gekpe and six other senior
officials of Rural Electrification Agency, REA , standing trial
in a N5.2billion scam, abused some provisions of the Procurement
Act in awarding contracts to companies allegedly belonging to
them. Mr Naisr Bello, an assistant procurement officer with the
Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE disclosed this while being led
in evidence by the EFCC Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro.
The other accused persons are Dr. Abdullahi Aliyu, Simon Kirdi
Nanle,
Engr.Lawrence Kayode Orekoya, Abdulsamad Garba Jahun and
Barrister Kayode Oyedeji. At
the resumed hearing of the case; Bello said that,
based on the Procurement Audit Report conducted , REA
did not carry out any tender exercise and evaluation for
both the grid and solar contracts, but rather a list of
contractors were selected and awarded contacts.
He stated that none of the companies awarded the
contracts were on the list of pre-qualified companies forwarded
by the ministry nor the projects advertised in any of the
national dailies as required by the Public Procurement Act,2007.
According to him, a selective tendering process was adopted for
the procurement and that though companies were pre-qualified
based on the six geo-political zones, REA failed to provide the
criteria and scores of the pre-qualification exercise. Bello
further revealed that contractors were paid 100% of the contract
sum in two instalments of 15% and 85% respectively even though
most of the companies provided advance payment guarantee.
Bello also disclosed that available reports indicated
that one Miss Uduak Israel Akpan signed the contract
documents and collected cheques on behalf of
nine (9) companies that benefited from the award of
contracts. These nine companies, he pointed out,
have most of their offices in Asaba , Delta State and
same telephone number on their letter -headed papers.
They were awarded 21 out of the 45 contracts
to the tune of N842,272,200.00 (Eight Hundred and forty
two million, two hundred and seventy two thousand, two hundred
naira only),out of the N1,624,164,660.00 (One billion, six
hundred and twenty four million, one hundred and sixty four
thousand naira, six hundred and sixty kobo.) contract sum.
Bello was cross examined on Tuesday
by counsels to the seven accused persons among whom were
Paul Erokoro,SAN, Nelson Uzuegbo Esq, Biodun Akin Aina
Esq and others. The case
was adjourned to ThursdayDecember 1, 2011 for
continuation of trial.
Th
This is the document referred to in the Witness
Statement on Oath of Clifford O. Kokogho as
“Exhibit
COK.2”
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