N220m unexecuted contracts: Trouble looms as senate queries Niger Delta Basin Development Authority

The Senate Public Account Committee has queried the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority over N220m contracts allegedly awarded and fully paid for, but not executed.

The Senate panel query was as a result of the report of the Auditor General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine.

The audit report stated that over N220m contracts were awarded on October 18, 2012.

The report read in part, “N9.2m being expenditure for an unexecuted contract for the construction of 10 mono hand-pump boreholes in Obo-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State was awarded to a company through a letter with reference number AD/NDBDS/C/20/12/050 and dated October 18, 2012.

“It was claimed that the job has been completed and payment effected. However, audit inspection revealed the boreholes on the sites were in existence even before the contract was awarded.

“The contract for the construction of a solar-powered water project at Ekwetortor, Delta State, was awarded to a company on October 18, 2012 at a contract price of N10m to be completed in six and half weeks.

“The total contract sum had been paid but a visit to the site showed that the solar power was not working and the residents confirmed its non-functionality.

“It was further observed that some aspects of the job in the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation that were not carried out are N3.8m, being the value of the contract not done.”

The report directed the Managing Director of the agency to recover N13m, being the value of work not done and unexplained expenditure.

It said the contract for the construction of solar power boreholes in 19 communities in Bayelsa State was awarded to a company on October 18, 2012, at the contract price of N238m with a completion period of three months. Punch