The Managing Director of Messrs Taj Print Media Nigeria Ltd, Joseph Abu and 33 other companies, that were awarded contracts under the leadership of the former Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), James Lalu, have written a petition to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, over alleged contract scam.

The contractors stated that they were awarded contracts to supply assistive devices for persons with physical disabilities worth N3.2 billion with a completion period of two weeks between July and October 2024.

The contractors, in their petition, want the BPE, the anti corruption agencies and the Humanitarian Affairs Ministry to save the federal government from multiple litigations and costs arising from the NCPWD?s abuse of office and breach of the provisions of the public procurement law.

In their petition against the Executive Secretary and his Chief of Staff, Abdullahi Ibrahim Tanimu, the contractors alleged a hijack of the commission by external elements outside the commission and the parent ministry.

The contractors alleged that while some of the beneficial companies had started delivering the devices at huge financial costs, the newly appointed Executive Secretary, Ayuba Burki Gufwan, suddenly announced the termination of the contracts without notice or due process.

A petition for investigation dated December 4, 2024 and signed by their lawyers, J. B. Damidami and Jackson Bako Esq, alleged that the commission?s action of unlawfully terminating and rejecting the ?executions of contracts duly advertised, bided for and won by various beneficial contractors without communication with the respective contractors (was) for the sole aim of reawarding same contracts to his privies, agents and assigns.?

It will be recalled that the contractors had also led a protest to the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Abuja over the contractual breach.

However, a document signed by the Executive Secretary, Gufwan, stated that the procurement process for the contracts was initiated contrary to the directive of the House Committee on Disabiiity Matters of the Federal House of Representatives after their oversight visit to the Commission on the 4th of July 2024, vide a letter dated 16t the July 2024.

?Please, note that upon the removal of my predecessor, Mr James D. Lalu on the 6the of August 2024, he went ahead to preside over a Meeting on the 13th August, 2024 and issued letter of Award on the 14th of August, 2024, even upon my assumption of office on the 10the of August 2024.

?The entire staff of the Procurement Unit had relocated to an unknown destination in order to continue with the procurement process, as letters were still being issued out however, back dated? Gufwan stated.

The Executive Secretary added that PTB Meeting appraised and evaluated the entire procurement process and concluded that it was lacking in transparency and integrity.

?The said doubt and lack of trust in the process necessitated the revocation of the 2024 Tender/Expression of interest (EOI) for Goods, Works and Services for Execution of 2024 Appropriation as advertised on Monday, June 24the July 7, 2024, by the Parastatals Board Meeting held on the 2nd September 2024 at the NCPWD Conference Room, Gufwan stated. (Daily Independent)

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