Edo investigation panel uncovers N200bn road contract debt – Official

The Edo Assets Verification Committee said it has uncovered some irregularities in the award of some contracts, including a N200 billion road contract debt owed by the immediate past administration of Godwin Obaseki.

Ernest Umakhihe, the committee’s chairperson, told journalists on Thursday in Benin that some contractors even returned mobilisation fees to government officials, which were not properly documented.

The committee also queried poor supervision of projects by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Mr Umakhihe, however, urged the current administration to leverage on the dry season to construct roads, particularly projects hurriedly awarded during the September 2024 election period.

“As the committee closes for the year, we felt the need to brief the public on key discoveries.

“There are huge outstanding commitments in respect of road infrastructure.

“No matter how indecent some of our findings are, the government has to explore the dry season to make an appreciable intervention in road construction.

“Significant breaches of the Edo State Public Procurement Law were uncovered, including dubious contract variations that exceeded initial contract sums.

“In some cases, the variations were higher than the initial contract sum.

“The transaction on the Radisson Hotel project leaves so much to be desired.

“The Radisson Hotel project was another area of concern, with ownership changes reducing Edo State’s equity to 20 per cent despite the government’s N17.5 billion investment and an initial payment of N2billion for the acquisition of land.

“The state government must reclaim its primary position as the core investor in the Radisson Hotel,” Mr Umakhihe asserted.

The committee chairperson explained that opaque operations of agencies like the Edo State Oil Palm Project Office, with huge expenditures funneled through consultants, were also discovered.

He stated that the Museum of West African Arts was found to be an independent trust on government land, with Edo State contributing N3.8 billion but holding no equity in the project.

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He revealed that the ICT projects were riddled with irregularities, including a N5 billion payment commitment for cybersecurity software, of which N1.7 billion had already been expended.

Mr Umakhihe promised a comprehensive final report in 2025, with detailed findings across other sectors, including education, health, and agriculture.

He said the committee was committed to ensuring that the new government has accurate data to make informed decisions.

(NAN)