Reps Investigate Alleged Fraud In Abuja Road Contract

PHOTO: FORMER FCT MINISTER, MR. ADAMU ALIERO.

ABUJA, May 13, (THEWILL) - The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to investigate the alleged fraud in the award of N257 billion contract for expansion works on the Airport and Zuba-Asokoro freeways in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Lawmakers voted in support of a motion by Honourable Dino Melaye who called for the probe insisting that the contract sum was inflated by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The contract was awarded in 2009 during the tenure of Senator Adamu Aliero as FCT Minister.

In adopting the motion, the House resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the costing of the project and the role of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) on the contract award with the view to impose sanctions on any one found culpable on the matter.

The decision of the House came following information by Melaye who averred that the FCTA awarded the contract though according to him, late President Umaru Yar’Adua approved the project on Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with 60 percent Government involvement and 40 percent in favour of private partners.

He said the FCTA dropped the PPP arrangement without the approval of the National Assembly and awarded the contract at the cost of N257 billion which he argued was not provided for in the 2009 budget.

He described the contract cost as questionable and outrageous and prayed that it be probed.

This he said is on the "backdrop of the fact that similar roads within the North Central States cost about one third of the said amount."

The ad-hoc committee is expected to ascertain the circumstances leading to the switch in funding arrangement and the role of the BPP and Debt Management Office (DMO) in the matter.

It is also empowered to recommend appropriate sanctions for anybody found culpable on the issue.