Senate Uncover N166b Fraud In Works, Power and Housing Ministry

Fraud worth over One Hundred and Sixty – Six billion (N166) road contract by the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing has been uncovered by the Bureau of Pulic Procurement (BPP), even as the Senate have concluded plans to investigate the Minister in charge of the ministry, Babatunde Fashola.

The Bureau Public Procurement had queried Fashola ‎over the violation of laws guiding contract awards in Nigeria based on the manner he selected contractors for the projects.

Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, has blew a whistle on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday that the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing and Bureau of Public Procurement have been involved in contract scandal running to billions of naira.

Raising a point of order (42) of Senate Rules, he alleged contract infraction by the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, explaining that Nigerians had opened a ledger for thieves in power.

“Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, I draw the attention of the Nigeria to some infraction and corruption between the ministry of Power and the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP),” he said.

He alleged that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and the BPP had colluded in ‎inflating the cost of contracts for the rehabilitation and construction of bridges and roads across the country.

Dino said he was in possession of correspondences between Works Ministry and Bureau of Public Procurement which shows clearly that officials of those Ministries were fleecing public funds in billions.

Citing instances of Numan – Yola – Jalingo road, he said: “The contract was first awarded to a construction company at N11 billion, but was later awarded to another company at an inflated price of N12.4billion”, Dino said.

He, thereafter, prayed the senate to give him the privilege to bring a motion on the issue to the chamber on Thursday.