By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi –
A member of the House of Representatives for Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency, Dr. Asema Achado, has called for urgent investigation into the procurement process for the Federal Ministry of Works’ awarded contract for the construction and delivery of the 700km Lagos-Calabar coastal road and rail project.
This was contained in a motion moved by the lawmaker on the floor of the house on the irregularities in the contract.
A statement by the Media Assistant to the House of Representatives member, Menda Manasseh, said Dr. Achado while leading debate on the matter revealed that the procurement strategy for the project violates the Public Procurement Act 2007 and the Infrastructure Concession and Regulation Commission Act 2005, which require open competitive bidding and public accountability.
According to the statement, the federal lawmaker expressed concerns that the Federal Ministry of Works awarded the contract without providing the private partner’s financing sources, structures, and competitiveness, which may create contingent liabilities to the Nigerian Government.
Achado, the statement continued also contended that the contingent liabilities accruing to the Federal Government violate the Debt Management Act 2023, which requires National Assembly approval for external loans.
He called on the Ministers of Works, Finance, Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to ensure that all guarantees and credit enhancement instruments for the project are sent to the National Assembly for approval in compliance with existing laws.
The House, however, resolved that the Honourable Ministers of Works, Finance and Justice should submit all guarantees and credit enhancement Instruments of the Project to the House as prayed. The matter was referred to the Committees on Works and Public Procurement for further legislative action.
The statement quoted the lawmaker as urging the relevant Ministers to take immediate action to address the legal gaps and violations observed in the project’s procurement process.
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