There was controversy at the weekend over alleged approval and award of a N5, 474,647,125 contract by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitisers to tackle Coronavirus in the nine states making up the region.

An online medium had published a letter dated April 6, 2020 with a Ref Number NDDC/ MD/HPU/20/4/EHSS/05, which revealed how the commission approved N5, 474,647,125 for procurement of PPE for health workers and provision of community- based sensitisation campaign against the spread of COVID-19 to a company (names withheld).

The letter reads: “This is to notify you that based on your tender for emergency procurement of specialised medical Personal Protective Equipment for health workers and provision of community based sensitisation campaign against the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases in the nine states of the Niger Delta region, the contract has been awarded to you at the total cost of N5,474,647,125 only inclusive of 7.5 VAT as corrected and modified in accordance with the instruction to tenderers by the Niger Delta Development Commission.”

The letter was allegedly signed by Alex Ndudi Enebeli, Head of Procurement Unit, for the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC.

Although it was reported that the company was given 15 days to deliver all items stated in the letter, the contracting firm was yet to deliver any equipment to a single state in the Niger Delta region 18 days after the contract was awarded and payment made.

“Apart from N70m donation made by the NDDC about a month ago, we are yet to receive any single health equipment from the commission. Though we were promised ventilators, we got a letter later from them that it won’t be possible again,” it was reported.(Sunday Independent)