NDDC Releases Documents Indicting Nwaoboshi In Fresh N3.4bn Procurement Scandal

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) currently embroiled in series of corruption saga, has released documents indicating how the senator representing Delta North senatorial district, Sen. Peter Noeloka Nwaoboshi who is chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs allegedly swindled the commission of about N3.4 billion.

The Special Assistant to the embattled Managing Director of the NDDC’s Interim Management Committee (IMC), Mr. Raymond Ebigoni Edgar, in a statement syndicated to journalists on Friday 7 August 2020, gave details of the transactions.

According to the statement; “If the provision of sections 24 and 27 of the public procurement Act No 65 of 2007 is anything to go by, the senator representing Delta North senatorial district, Sen. Peter Noeloka Nwaoboshi who is chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs should have been arrested, charged and tried.

This followed the “mammoth allegations of fraud, contract inflation violation of the public procurement Act, flagrant abuse of office and embezzlement of public funds to the tune of N3,483144,00 (Three billion, four hundred and eighty three million, one hundred and forty-four thousand naira meant for the procurement of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in 9 (Nine) oil producing states in Nigeria in the 2016 appropriation of the NDDC.

He said,  “in all of these allegations, it was learnt that the tenders Board of NDDC was never consulted before the award of the contracts to 15 different companies having links to the senator through proxies, friends and relations.”

“Our investigations reveal that contrary to the provisions of section 24(1) of the public procurement of goods and works by procuring entities shall be conducted by open competition bidding and section 27(1) of the same Act provides that all bids in response to invitation to open competitive bidding must be submitted in writing, in addition to any other format stipulated by an official authorized to bind the bidder to a contract and placed in a sealed envelope. It is worthy of note that there was no open competitive bidding in line with the provisions of the law.

THe NDDC however mentioned about the 15 (fifteen) companies allegedly used to scam the commission for contracts that were never executed.

I. BenchMark Construction & Projects Limited which got a contract for the procurement of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in Abia for the sum of N 232,209,600 (Two Hundred and Thirty two Million, Two hundred and nine thousand, Six Hundred Naira).

II. Milestone Allied Builders Limited and Edendoma Stars International got the sum of N232,209,600 ( Two Hundred and Thirty Two Million, Two Hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira each for the same purpose in Akwa-Ibom State.

III. Isumabe U.K Global Ventures, Nelpat Nigeria Company and Edrihide Company also got the sum of N232,209,600 (Two Hundred and thirty two Million, Two hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira each also for the procurement and supply of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa State.

IV. In cross River State, the same contract and contract sums N232,209,600 (Two Hundred and thirty two Million, Two hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira were awarded to Antlers Construction & Allied Works Limited, same goes for AGH- Rown Ventures and NOAN integrated services limited each for the same amount in Delta State.

V. In Edo, Imo & Ondo States respectively, the same contract for the procurement and supply of plastic desks and chairs was awarded to De-Towers Construction & Allied Services, Eastern Wrought Iron Limited and Franstine Nigeria Enterprises respectively for the same N232,209,600 (Two Hundred and thirty two Million, Two hundred and Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Naira each.

VI. Investigations revealed that Bench Mark Construction & Projects Limited with RC. 925180, milestones Allied Construction and Allied Works Limited with RC. 925188 and De-towers Construction & Allied services with RC. 925182 were all registered on the same day; December 3rd 2010 with plot 3011 B, Kwranakh Close, Maitama Abuja.

This is the same address for Golden touch Construction projects Limited used by senator Peter Nwaoboshi to illegally acquire the 12 – storey building at 27 Marina road, Apapa also known as “Guinea House” belonging to the Delta state government.

Senator Nwaoboshi has since denied some of the allegations raised in the statement.

Below are some of the documents: