By Amos Aar
THE MEMBER representing Gwer East/Gwer West federal constituency (APC) in the House of Representatives, Hon. Asema Achado, on Thursday moved a motion calling for an urgent investigation into the procurement process for the Federal Ministry of Works’ awarded contract for the construction and delivery of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
In a statement by the Personal Assistant to Hon. Achado on Media and Publicity, Mendah Manasseh, made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Friday, Achado, while leading the debate on the motion, stated that the procurement strategy for the project violates the Public Procurement Act 2007 and the Infrastructure Concession and Regulation Commission Act 2005, which requires open competitive bidding and public accountability.
Hon. Achado also expressed concerns that the Federal Ministry of Works awarded the contract without providing the private partner’s financing sources, structures, and competitiveness, which may create contingent liabilities to the federal government.
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According to the statement, the lawmaker also argued that the contingent liabilities accruing to the federal government violate the Debt Management Act 2023, which requires National Assembly approval for external loans.
While the federal lawmaker urged the relevant ministers to take immediate action to address the legal gaps and violations observed in the project’s procurement process, he also tasked the ministers of Works, Finance, Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to ensure that all guarantees and credit enhancement instruments for the project are sent to the National Assembly for approval in compliance with existing laws.
The statement also noted that the House resolved that the ministers of Works, Finance and Justice should submit all guarantees and credit enhancement instruments of the project to the House as prayed and the matter was referred to the committees on Works and Public Procurement for further legislative action.
