Connect with us

News

Did Ministry of Power, Works and Housing attempt to cheat Nigeria by N22bn? Fashola responds

Published

on

Yorubas should vote Buhari in 2019 so power can return to the South-West in 2023— Fashola

Minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, has responded to a statement by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) claiming he inflated contracts awarded by his ministry in 2018.

BPP had, over the weekend, revealed how it saved N26 billion for the federal government in 2018 by revising the sums of government contracts approved by some ministries, departments and agencies.

The agency said the highest reduction was made from the ministry of power, works and housing where N22.22 billion was cut from a request of N877.40 billion.

However, Fashola who was in charge of the ministry at the time has stated that there was no case of inflation under him.

In a statement on Monday, Hakeem Bello, the minister’s spokesperson, said the claim that savings were made by the agency was subjective.

“Being a department of the same government, ordinarily this should not warrant a reply; however the misleading nature of the reporting in the media and the statements credited to BPP compel a response for the purposes of clarification and enlightenment of the public,” he explained.

READ ALSO: KADUNA: PDP disagrees with tribunal over judgment on El’Rufai

“Any person who takes time to read the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, which created the BPP will understand that no contract can be awarded until BPP certifies that it has NO OBJECTION.

“Therefore there was no INFLATED contract because BPP clearly stated that it reduced the costs, and according to BPP she ‘… saved over N26 Billion…’ And this is the heart of the matter, because BPP’s ‘savings’ can only be a SUBJECTIVE assessment based on rates quoted by contractors, reviewed by the Ministry , and sent to BPP for certification.

“Once rates are published and design is known, quantities can be ascertained and costs can be determined.

“This is the field of Quantity Surveyors and Construction Economists, and the Minister of Works and Housing has not made any secret about his call for a revision of the Public Procurement Act to resolve this and other gaps in the Law.

“Indeed, during the first term of this Administration, the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing had commissioned the compilation of a service wide Rate of major items of procurement from the largest to the smallest for BPP to consider, adopt or amend and publish.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now