Loyal Compensation:  How Willie Obiano Awarded Contract Worth over N150 Million to Appointee

Secret reporters

Investigations by Secret Reporters have revealed how the former Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano awarded a contract worth over N150,000,000 to his compatriot, Chinedu Nzeribe, a Senior Special Assistant on Finance /budget, , both violating the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Procurement Law.

The code of conduct for public officers involved with procurement states; “A Public Officer shall decline in serving in a procurement process if any of the Bidders or Service Providers engaged in the procurement proceedings is related to him by blood, marriage or grant relationship or where the success of a particular Bidder or Service Provider in the proceedings will confer a pecuniary or other advantage on him”.

SecretReporters perusing the Anambra state public procurement portal discovered that the Anambra state government, through the Ministry of Housing, awarded a contract to CHINZ GLOBAL RESOURCES LTD, for construction of external works at the Judges quarters G.R.A, Onitsha. The contract awarded in 2021 was worth N159, 904,201.

Further findings showed that  Chinz Global Resources Ltd, a company incorporated in Anambra state with registration number 1180556, has two directors; Edu-Nzeribe Chinyere and Nzeribe Chinedu, a Senior Special Assistant on Finance /budget to Willie Obiano the former governor of the state. Further findings showed that  Chinz Global Resources Ltd, a company incorporated in Anambra state with registration number 1180556, has two directors; Edu-Nzeribe Chinyere and Nzeribe Chinedu, a Senior Special Assistant on Finance /budget to Willie Obiano the former governor of the state.

Nzeribe Chinedu, who was a serving public officer at the time the contract was awarded also doubled as a director in Chinz Global Resources Ltd, a flagrant violation of the Code of Conduct Bureau for public office holders which states that “except where he is not employed on a full‐time basis, engage or participate in the management or running of any private business, profession or trade; but nothing in this paragraph shall prevent a public officer from engaging in farming or participating in the management or running of any farm”.

It was also discovered that Chinz Global Resources Ltd located at no. 31c, Nwaezi Street, off Awka road, Onitsha, Anambra state, has its registered activity as Agricultural Production.