Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secrets Reporters
Contrary to the rules guiding the award of the contracts at the federal and state level, fresh investigation by this online media have unearthed how four agencies of the Lagos State government awarded illegal contracts to companies suspected to be owned by cronies.
Details buried within the Lagos State open procurement portal have it that nothing less than N261,157,292.55 million left the treasury of the commercial hub of Nigeria through ineligible contracts awarded by the Ministry of Housing, Lagos State Waste Management Authority, Ministry of Transportation, and Office of Transformation, Creativity & Innovation.
It was gathered that the contracts, awarded in 2021, saw companies that did not have the three years tax record requirement as recipients. Remarkably, two of the companies that got contracts were not registered as records of the Corporate Affairs Commission revealed that the companies do not identify with them.
More so, none of the contract details revealed the method of bidding, or the names of other companies that vied for the contracts.
SecretsReporters gathered that in April 2021, the Ministry of Housing awarded a contract worth N90,563,892.55 to Yeslar Enterprises for “Completion of Infrastructural Facilities at Gbagada Housing Scheme”.
Our search on CAC revealed that Yeslar Enterprises does not have any record with them, implying that the company is not registered.
In a similar development, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority awarded a contract worth N35,000,000.00 to Hybrid Logistics Value Base LTD for “Procurement Of Sweepers Footware” in April 2021.
Findings revealed that Hybrid Logistics Value Base LTD was registered on 26 Sep 2021, implying that it got the multi-million naira contract at least five months before it was floated.
Further digging revealed that in April 2021, the Ministry of Transportation experienced an outflow of N134,350,400.00 in favour of Foli Transport Engineering and Solution as payment for contract.
The transaction details revealed that the contract was for the “Provision Of Lane Markings Across The State (Lot7- Ojuelegba-Itire Drd, Tejuosho, Yaba; Akeredolu Way, S/Lere; Herbert Macauley Way: Akanro Street, Town Planning Way, Ilupeju; Coker).”
Remarkably, we discovered that Foli Transport Engineering and Solution was registered on February 8 2021, implying that it was barely two months before it was awarded the juicy contract.
In another eyebrow raising discovery, we gathered that in April 2021, the sum of N1,243,000.00 left the coffers of the Office of Transformation, Creativity & Innovation in favour of Vintage Systems Ventures as contract payment for “Procurement of Flash Drive for Creativity and Innovation Activities”.
A check on CAC revealed that the company is not registered.
