The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reopened its investigation into a N21.74 billion Independent Power Plant (IPP) project in Oghara, Delta state, New Telegrapgh reports.
The contract for the project was awarded by the Delta state government to an indigenous firm, on June 23, 2009 for the supply and installation of two Rolls Royce Trent gas turbine generators to boost power generation and distribution in the state.
NAIJ.com gathered that it had an initial contract term of 60 per cent down payment and completion period of 24 months. On June 24, 2009, Davnotch Nigeria Limited accepted the offer and promised to complete the contract within the stipulated time frame.
A total sum of N1billion was paid into Davnotch’s accounts in three banks on the same day. Subsequently, other payments were made to the same company in respect of the project. According to the interim report of investigations conducted by the EFCC, the total sum of N9,829,495,000 has so far been paid to Davnotch Nigeria Limited.
Investigations by the EFCC also revealed that the contract might have been a huge scam as the contracting firm was directly linked to a top official in the government of Delta state.
It was discovered that as at the time the contract was awarded and the sum of N1 billion paid to Davnotch Nigeria Limited, the firm was not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), due process was not followed and there was no formal agreement between the state government and the company.
The EFCC commenced investigation into the contract during the tenure of Mrs. Farida Waziri as chairperson of the anti-graft agency as investigation was ordered following a petition from a law firm and operatives of the commission visited the proposed site of the IPP at Oghara in Delta state.
In 2010, the Delta State Elders’ Forum wrote series of petitions on the same matter which compelled the EFCC to expedite action on the matter.
However, nearly eight years after the EFCC completed that investigation, no action was taken in terms of prosecuting those behind the contract scam. But, the case file is said to have been re-opened in line with the policy of the present administration to recover all public funds and stolen assets.
Spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, could neither deny nor confirm the re-opening of the case file.
Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative, has urged the EFCC to expedite action on the matter and ensure that all those linked to the multi-billion naira power project were brought to justice.
National coordinator of the group, Charles Adodo, who gave the advice, expressed concern that monies that were supposed to be devoted to the development of the nation have been diverted to private pockets through corruption.
He confirmed that his group recently submitted a petition to both the EFCC and the National Assembly on the abandoned IPP project. He said the fresh petition was to remind the commission that the issue must not be swept under the carpet.
“In a nutshell, we authored that petition and we are ready to stand by it any time we are called upon to do so. We can’t just fold our arms and let corruption ride roughshod over us.
“To the best of our knowledge, nothing has been done at the site of the Delta Independent Power Project at Oghara all these years to show that it is not a fraudulent contract.
“In fact, if the EFCC does not act on time, we might be compelled to stage mass protests both in Abuja and Delta state to draw the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and other anti-corruption crusaders to the issue,” Adodo warned.
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app
Meanwhile, YIAGA Africa has commended the EFCC for the recent conviction of two ex-governors for misappropriation of public funds.
In a statement sent to NAIJ.com by its executive director, Samson Itodo, the group hailed the EFCC for ensuring that justice prevailed despite the length of time involved in the trial.
Ex-governor of Taraba state, Jolly Nyame, was convicted by a high court of the Federal Capital Territory to refund monies diverted and serve a jail term of fourteen (14) years for diverting N1.64 billion, while his Plateau state counterpart, Joshua Dariye, was also convicted to serve a jail term of fourteen (14) years for misappropriating N1.16 billion ecological funds while he governed the state between 1999-2007.
The EFCC stages walk against corruption - on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng
