Nigeria’s House of Representatives’ ad-hoc committee probing the award of railway contracts between 2010 and 2014 has queried the management of Nigeria Railways Corporation for shutting out qualified construction firms from bidding for the modernisation of railway projects.

The panel has also summoned the Bureau of Public Procurement Bureau to explain the rationale behind the jerking up a railway contract from N5.6 billion to N10.8 billion.

After weeks of investigating government officials, it is the turn of the companies which participated in railway contracts to appear before the probe panel.

One after the other, the organisations unfolded the level of their involvement in the projects.

One of the organisations was awarded a contract totaling N5.6 billion to design, supply, install, test and commission modern signalling solutions for the Eastern line of Nigeria Railways Network, but its representative, Biliaminu, told the committee of an addendum to the said contract which saw it rise to N10.8 billion.

Besides, Biliaminu could not give the legislators the cost of the Western Line contract, forcing the panel to summon the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

In all, the lawmakers were far from convinced about the sincerity of purpose of the Nigeria Railways Corporation and all other parties involved in the transaction.

Also before the committee was CRCC, a company owned by the Chinese Government.

At a question and answer session, the company’s representative admitted the organisation and another company owned by the Chinese Government, CCECC bidded and won the N8.3 billion dollar Lagos-Kano railway modernisation project

All companies involved in the railway projects are to submit to the committee, their registration details with the Corporate Affairs Commission as well as their tax certificates. (TVC)

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