Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secrets Reporters
In a shocking breach of procurement laws, at least four bodies of the Lagos State government agencies have awarded lucrative contracts to companies that do not meet the required criteria of three years of taxation, raising serious questions about the integrity and transparency of the state’s procurement processes.
This development was mined from data buried in the Lagos State open procurement portal. According to the data, the Lagos State Library Board awarded, the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, Office of the Auditor General for Local Governments, and the Ministry of Housing awarded contracts that boast of over twelve million Naira to illegal companies suspected to be owned by cronies.
Violations Uncovered
In June 2022, the Lagos State Library Board awarded a contract worth N2,496,000.00 for the supply of adult books to six libraries to Bayewo Nigeria Enterprises. However, investigations revealed that Bayewo Nigeria Enterprises is not registered and lacks the requisite three years of taxation history.
In a similar move, the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency granted a N400,000.00 contract for the procurement of consumables for its Finance and Account Department to Debby & Sons Company. Findings indicate that this company is also unregistered and does not possess the necessary taxation record.
Further findings by this online media revealed that in June 2020, the Office of the Auditor General for Local Governments awarded a contract worth N4,958,000.00 for the procurement of laptops and accessories to Timite World Enterprise.
Digging into the company’s details, it was uncovered that Timite World Enterprise was registered only on January 13, 2022, making it ineligible due to its insufficient taxation history.
SecretsReporters’ findings revealed that the Ministry of Housing awarded a contract valued at N4,538,900.00 for the procurement of professional video and still cameras and accessories for its Public Affairs Unit to Eyitayo Temidayo Enterprises.
Investigations show that Eyitayo Temidayo Enterprises is unregistered and does not meet the three-year taxation requirement.
Remarkably, the four government bodies involved in awarding these contracts have failed to disclose the procurement methods used, casting further doubt on the transparency and fairness of the process. Additionally, they have not revealed the names of other companies that applied for these contracts, raising concerns about potential irregularities and favoritism.
