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Secret Reporters
Documents have revealed how the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (RBDA) made payment twice for the same contracts awarded to Caldwell Atlantic Nigeria Limited, a company whose key management staff is a civil servant with the Kogi State Government.
This action goes against the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal (CCBT) Act, which prevents government officials from owning or running a private company while being employed as full-time staff. However, such laws do not apply if the company or business is in the farming sector.
Despite this law, SecretsReporters perusing Govspend, a portal that tracks government spending, discovered that the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority made several payments to Rachel Oshanisi through a company where she is part of the key management staff, to the sum of ₦220,235,175.06.
On May 10, 2024, the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority made a payment of ₦82,672,093.02 to Caldwell Atlantic Nigeria Limited for the construction of the Iyara Ona road in Kofi West Senatorial District, Kogi State.
On November 7, 2022, the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority made a payment of ₦86,118,213.95 to Caldwell Atlantic Nigeria Limited for the construction of Iyara Ilupa Okoro farm area road Kogi West Senatorial district, Kogi state
On November 3, 2023, the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority made a payment of ₦51,444,868.09 to Caldwell Atlantic Nigeria Limited for the construction of Iyara-Ilupa-Okoro farm area In Kogi West senatorial district, Kogi State.
It was discovered that the contract for the construction of the Iyara-Ilupa-Okoro farm area in Kogi West Senatorial District, Kogi State, was awarded twice in 2022 and 2023.
Findings also showed that the company, Caldwell Atlantic Nigeria Limited, was incorporated in Ilorin, Nigeria, on February 1, 2007, with Registration Number 679655. The company has three key management personnel, among who is Rachel Oshanisi, a University Administrator at Kogi State University
