Daylight Robbers: How Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, Lagos State Library Board Awarded Multi-Million Naira Contracts To Illegal, Non-Existing Companies For Purchase of Samsung Phones, Books

Secrets Reporters

Incriminating data accessed by this online media have shown how the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget and the Lagos State Library Board awarded multi-million Naira contracts to ineligible companies suspected to be owned by cronies. 

In the last two months, in an ongoing series, SecretsReporters has been spotlighting agencies and ministries within the Lagos State that have been involved in contract racketeering by awarding contracts to their cronies and unqualified companies.

It was gathered that in June 2022, nothing less than twenty million Naira (N20,000,000.00) left the coffers of the Lagos State treasury through illegal contracts awarded by the Lagos State Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget and the Lagos State Library Board.

Data on the Lagos State open procurement portal have it that in June 2022, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget awarded a contract worth N8,925,000.00, for the “Purchase Of Statistical Survey Equipment / Samsung Phone Android (Samsung Tab S9 Lite – 64gb Rom – 4gb Ram – 4g Lte – 10.4 – 7040 Mah),” to Path Global.

When we dug into the details of Path Global, we discovered that the company was registered on 17 October 2019 which implied that it did not have up to three years taxation before it was awarded the contract.

In a similar illegal move, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget awarded a contract worth millions of Naira for the “Purchase of Statistical Survey Equipment / Global Navigation Satellite System (Gnss) Equipment (Germin Etrex 30 Gps Receiver)”.

The contract, pegged at N8,750,000.00, was awarded to Path Global, a company that was yet to have three years taxation at the time of the contract.

Remarkably, the Ministry hid the names of the other companies that applied for the contract from the public. It also did not reveal the procurement method used.

Meanwhile, this online media beamed its torchlight on the Lagos State Library Board and it has unearthed how the Board awarded a contract to an ineligible company in 2022.

According to details on the procurement portal, the Library Board awarded a contract pinned at N2,426,940.00, for the “Supply of Adult Books (Batch B) For Six Libraries in Lagos State” in June 2022. 

The contract was awarded to Belladek Pluz Ventures. Meanwhile, a search on the Corporate Affairs Commission revealed that the company is not registered.