Double Stealing: Zamfara Government Duplicates N137 Million Project To Construct Gate and Complex at Government House Gusau

Secret Reporters

In what appears to be a deliberate move to siphon funds, data have shown that the Governor Bello Matawalle-led Zamfara State Government awarded a certain construction project twice.

According to the data on the Zamfara State Open Procurement Portal, the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and General Services awarded a contract to 180 Cycle Construction Engineering Ltd for the ‘Construction of 3rd Gate and the Council of Ulama’s Secretariat Complex at Government House, Gusau”.

The contract, with serial number 36 on the portal, has N137, 930,804.37 as the amount for its execution. The date of the signing of the contract was not given. It was also not stated if the contract has been executed.

Investigation by this online media revealed that the same contract was awarded to the same company in another separate data.

As seen on number 41 on the State Open Procurement Portal, the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and General Services re-awarded the contract, worth N137, 930,804.37 to 180 Cycle Construction Engineering Ltd.

The data, however, did not stipulate the date of the re-awarded contract. It was also not stated if the contract has been executed.

More so, the Ministry did not state why the project was re-awarded to the same company, and why the same amount was budgeted for it.

Findings show that 180 Cycle Construction & Engineering Ltd. was incorporated on November 8, 2019.

According to the procurement law, to qualify for a government contract, a company must among others, show evidence of fulfilling its Tax obligations which include: (i) a Current Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) for the last three (3) years; VAT Registration Certificate; and TIN Number (Tax Identification Number).

(ii) Audited Account of the Bidding Company for the last three (3) years duly endorsed by a firm of Professional Accountants.

Going by these requirements, 180 Cycle Construction & Engineering Ltd is unqualified for the contract since it is yet to complete three years required by law to be qualified for a government contract.