THE Senate, has on Monday, August 7, divided over the screening of Festus Keyamo.
The senate also screened Mariya Mahmud, a nominee from Kano state.
The ICIR reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu forwarded their names to the senate chamber for confirmation as ministers on Friday, August 4.
The lawmakers were in disarray after a senator representing Abia Central Senatorial District, Darlington Nwokocha, moved a motion for the suspension of Keyamo.
The motion was seconded by Nwokocha’s, a senator from Abia-South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio thereafter subjected the motion to a voice vote, but it lead to a commotion instead.
Meanwhile, Opeyemi Bamidele, a senator from Ekiti, moved for the extension of sitting time beyond 2 p.m.
He also moved for a close session to address the issue of Keyamo, which was seconded.
DESPITE having the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, 79 schools in Misau Local Government Area (LGA), Bauchi, state have only one teacher teaching all subjects.
The Director of School Services of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Bauchi Korijo Usman, disclosed this on Sunday, August 6, during a dialogue with journalists.
“In Misau, there are 79 schools that have only one teacher each, while there are zero schools with no teacher. All the schools have teachers except that they are not adequate.
“Misau is even better compared to others. Go to some other schools and see the situation there. So, what we do is to find out where they are congested, and we ask them to redeploy and post them to other places. And that is what we told them from SUBEB that if they see a school with many teachers, they should move to two or three other schools depending on the number there,” Usman.
He further noted that there was an average of 72 students per class, which is higher than the 1:35 teacher-student ratio recommended by the Nigerian government.
In 2022, data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) stated that Nigeria has 20.2 million out-of-school children.
Bauchi had the highest ranking, with over 1.2 million children out of school, a large percentage of the total figure nationwide.
Lack of teachers worsens absenteeism of students
The ICIRreported in May 2023 that teachers and heads of schools were taking advantage of the inadequacy of teachers to operate an epileptic education system.
Many elementary schools in Bauchi are run by volunteer teachers, and many pupils avoid classes, citing the lack of children as a reason.
Some schools, including the Dagaro Primary/Upper Basic School, remain closed whenever the head teacher is absent,
Parents who spoke with The ICIR said they have stopped sending their children and wards to school, as there were hardly any teachers to attend to them.
“I have since stopped sending my four grandchildren to school because all they do is play. The boys will play football, and the girls will play ‘gada.’
“If you ask them what they learnt, they will tell you nothing because the teachers did not come or did not enter the classes to teach. Many have stopped coming and opted for Almajiri education. They are cheating our younger ones by not coming and doing their duties,” said Muhammadu Inuwa, a resident of Katagum LGA, Bauchi.
ENGLAND defeated Nigeria’s Super Falcons, 4-2 via penalty shootout to progress to the quarter-finals of the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The keenly contested round of 16 knockout stage match between England and Nigeria ended in a 0-0 draw in normal time but saw out extra time before prevailing in a shootout.
During the penalty shootout, Nigeria’s Desire Oparanozie and Michelle Alozie missed their first two before Chloe Kelly scored the decisive spot-kick to secure the next round for Lionesses.
Before England’s numerical disadvantage of their player Lauren James was sent out at the death of the second half, Nigeria had opportunities in the first half to take the lead.
The first half witnessed Ashleigh Plumptre’s left-footed shot from the edge of the area hit the woodwork and her quick header was saved by England Goalkeeper Mary Earps.
In the thirty-four minutes, the Video Assistant Referee, VAR cancelled a penalty awarded to England after Nigeria’s Ajibade was penalised after tussling with England Daly.
The resumption of the second half saw England encroaching on Nigeria defense but their attempts met the firm resilience of the defenders.
THE Lagos State Government says it has sacked and blacklisted the facility managers in charge of the management of the Hospital’s House Quarters over the elevator crash that led to the death of Diaso Vwaere at General Hospital, Odan.
The state government also suspended the General Manager of the Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA). The government also debunked the claim that there was no blood.
A statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy Olumide Sogunle, on Sunday, August 6, stated that the initial findings of the state’s panel of inquiry identified the persons who might be culpable for the incident.
The ICIRreports that Vwaere Diaso died as a result of an elevator crash at the General Hospital, Odan, on Tuesday, August 1.
Vwaere death was followed by outrage from the hospital staff and concerned Nigerians, including the Lagos State Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which declared an indefinite strike.
Although some individuals levelled accusations of negligence and corruption against the hospital management, the state government clarified that the management of the House Officers Quarters for health workers was outsourced to a facility management company, noting that LASIAMA oversees the company’s activities.
Meanwhile, the operations and line of reporting of the facility managers have been restructured to involve the hospital management directly.
Part of the statement read: “The Lagos State Government, in recognition of the importance of providing functional and comfortable accommodation for health workers, outsourced the management of the House Officers Quarters to a facility management company. The Lagos State Infrastructure and Asset Management Agency (LASIAMA) oversees the activities of the facility management company.
“Following the incident, we immediately set up a panel to look into its likely causes, identify persons who might be culpable, and suggest ways of preventing any future occurrence. For transparency, the membership of the panel included representatives of the Medical Guild and six representatives of House Officers. The panel has now concluded its deliberations and submitted its report.
“According to its findings, the incident happened around 6.50 pm. Due to the impact, the elevator doors were damaged and needed to be forced open to rescue the trapped house officer. She was extracted at about 7.50 pm, and resuscitation commenced immediately. She was wheeled to the emergency room and was immediately attended to by a medical team led by a highly experienced consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon.
“The team was assisted by all house officers who were present at the time. The initial objectives were to ensure a clear airway, maintain breathing, and establish circulation. The team was also joined by two consultant anaesthetists, including the Medical Director, who intubated the patient. Despite all the efforts, she stopped breathing around 8.13pm and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) commenced. This went on until 8.59pm when she was pronounced dead.”
Despite the state NMA confirming that there was no blood to resuscitate Diaso’s life at the time of the incident, the state government argued that there wasn’t a request for blood at the time CPR commenced.
“It is important to state that blood samples for cross-matching had not been taken and there had not been a request for blood at the time CPR commenced; it is not true that blood was not available. The state has a strong network of screening centres where blood is available. Besides, there is a register of voluntary donors who can be mobilised at very short notice.”
The statement noted that the crashed elevator was brand new and installed in 2021, adding that elevator experts working with the Lagos Safety Commission have carried out an initial inspection and will be removing the elevator for further mechanical examination.
It said the experts’ findings will determine if the government has a case with the elevator installer, noting that engineers are working to unravel why all the safety devices of the elevator failed at the same time.
The state government said the installation and maintenance contractors have been handed over to the police for further investigation and likely prosecution.
The ICIR on Saturday, August 5, reported that the Lagos state police command’s public relations officer Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed to The ICIR that three suspects in connection with the Diaso’s tragic death have been arrested.
BISOLA Aiyeola, Dorothy Bachor and Mike Edwards are the first set of ex-housemates to feature as the eviction jurists for the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) season 8 All-stars show.
Bisola participated in Season 2 (See Gobe) of the show, Dorathy was part of Season 5 (Lockdown), and Mike joined in Season 4 (Pepper Dem).
During the live show on Sunday, July 30, the organisers of the BBNaija introduced a new twist to the eviction process, involving ex-BBNaija housemates from different seasons as judges. This announcement was made by the host, Ebuka.
As per his statement, the ex-housemates turned judges will collaborate to rescue one of the housemates with the lowest votes.
“Starting next week, Biggie will introduce a Jury, made up of ex-housemates who will decide on the housemate that will be evicted. This will take place after the judges have been presented with the All Stars housemates with the least vote. They are called the Eviction Jury, and they’ll be in charge of evicting the BBNaijaAll Stars housemates.” Ebuka said.
Princess Onyejekwe, who previously appeared in the Season 3 (Double Wahala) edition, was the first housemate evicted from the All-Stars edition.
Princess, first evicted BBN All stars housemate. Credit: Instagram
The BBNaija Season 8 All Stars premiered on Sunday, July 23, with 20 ex-housemates vying for a grand prize of N120 million, along with other prizes, as reported by The ICIR.
With 19 housemates still in the running, the show continues as they compete for the grand prize.
ANAMBRA State Police Command has begun a 24-hour surveillance on the 2nd Niger Bridge over issues of vandalism recorded recently.
Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state Aderemi Adeoye disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, August 6.
“We have commenced round-the-clock intensive surveillance on the second Niger bridge, which is a national asset. We are working in collaboration with Delta State Command, which also shares the asset, to achieve comprehensive coverage.
“We are happy that the vandalised parts have been replaced with more fortification, but we want to warn anybody who would wish to attempt another attack on the facility to desist because such a person will be caught. Our surveillance is 24 hours and it will be more intense at night,” the CP said.
Adeoye also mentioned that the monitoring would be carried out by mobile and static surveillance teams.
Construction of the Second Niger Bridge connecting Delta and Anambra states began in 2018.
The 1.6 kilometres bridge was briefly open to vehicular movement on December 15, 2022, to ease traffic during the period, and was commissioned in May 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari before he left office.
However, shortly after it was commissioned, some road fittings were removed and carted away by vandals.
Following the vandalisation, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Mahmuda Mamman urged security agencies to intensify surveillance on the bridge, as it could be rendered unmotorable if the thefts were left unchecked.
“This is a massive investment put up by the Federal Government to ease movement of goods and services in Nigeria. To me, free movement is a basic human right, and all of us must take collective responsibility to safeguard it.” Mamman said.
Though the fittings have been replaced, there are yet to be any arrests in connection to the thefts. However, Adeoye said on Sunday, August 6, that investigations were ongoing to uncover the identity of those involved in the vandalism.
OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a fake couple and other drugs dealers in some parts of the country inthe past seven days.
The couple, Ilonzeh Kingsley Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum, who were purportedly going for medical treatment in India, ingested 184 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.322 kilograms with another 100grams of the drug also concealed in the woman’s private part.
A statement by the Agency’s spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, August 6, confirmed that the two suspects were intercepted at the Screening Point 1, Terminal 1 of the international wing of the Lagos airport on Tuesday 1st August 2023 while attempting to board an Ethiopian airline flight to India.
The NDLEA, said although travel documents show consistency in their names and depict them as a couple, preliminary investigation revealed that the intending passengers were not a couple but obtained the travel documents in the same surname to beat security checks at the airport.
A body scan by the agency operatives revealed they both ingested drugs as a result of which they were later placed on excretion observation at the Agency’s facility.
The statement also said the lady, Roseline, during her interview, confessed that she was recruited in her church in Aba, Abia state, where she lives, adding that she is a divorcee, and Kingsley with whom she was travelling was not her real husband.
According to her, Kingsley, the fake husband, brought the pellets of cocaine to her to ingest in her room in the hotel where they were both lodged on Monday, July 31.
Part of the statement read: “After their arrest, a thorough search conducted on her led to the discovery of a big size wrap of cocaine that weighed 100 grams she inserted into her private part. She confessed that she was promised Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) upon successful delivery of the drug in India.”
“In his own statement, Kingsley who was into clothing business in Onitsha, Anambra state, claimed he was promised Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000) after a successful delivery of the drug in India. A further search of the Agency’s crime data base revealed that Kingsley also obtained his travel documents with fake identity for the trip. Indeed, it was established that he was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on 19th March 2022 for ingesting 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.243kgs upon his arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on board an Ethiopian airline flight. His travel documents then contained his real name: Uwaezuoke Ikenna Christian.
“After his arrest at the Abuja airport on 19th March 2022 along with another suspect, Iro Elvis Uche who also ingested 65 wraps of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.376kgs, Uwaezuoke was subsequently arraigned before Justice Zainab Abubakar of the Federal High Court Abuja with charge number: FHC/ABJ/CR/438/2022. He was eventually granted bail by the court pending the conclusion of his trial. He is still on the court bail when he was arrested at the Lagos airport for a similar offence on Tuesday 1st August.”
According to the statement, Ilonzeh Kingsley Onyebuchi excreted a total of 82 wraps of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.822kgs in five excretions, while Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum egested 101 wraps in four excretions.
Also, a bid size wrap of the substance recovered from her private part, all weighing 1.50kgs.
In the same vein, the NDLEA operatives attached to courier companies in Lagos intercepted various quantities of Dextromethorphan mixed with heroin; Methamphetamine, Dimethyl Sulfone and Cannabis concealed in different objects going to Europe.
“While 272 grams of dextromethorphan mixed with heroin going to Greece were recovered from white neck beads; 665 grams of cannabis being shipped to Hong Kong were hidden in bars of Dudu Osun black bathing soap; with 261 grams of Dimethyl Sulfone going to New Zealand hidden in reels of weaving threads and 1.5kgs of Methamphetamine also going to New Zealand neatly packed in an MP3 player after all the parts were removed and the substance stuffed as replacement.
“In Kano state, a woman and four men: Ladi Peter,47; Umar Salisu, 38; Ahmed Naheeb, 36; Ibrahim Umar, 42, and Musa Suleman, 43, were arrested in connection with the seizure of 977.7 kilograms of cannabis sativa from them by NDLEA operatives along Zaria-Kano road, Kwanar Dangora on Friday 4th August and Monday 31st July. In the same vein, 2,445 kilograms of cannabis sativa were recovered from the warehouse of a fleeing suspect, Usman Nar at Madinatu area of Jere LGA, Borno state on Saturday 5th August.”
Also, no fewer than 57,450 pills of tramadol, Rohypnol and exol-5 as well as 4,082 bottles of codeine-based syrup, were recovered from a suspect, Joseph Usman, in a commercial bus.
The suspect was eroute to Abuja along the Abaji-Abuja highway from Onitsha Anambra state on Friday, August 4.
The chairman/chief executive of the NDLEA, a Brigadier-General Mohamed, Buba Marwa, charged his officers in all state commands to remain vigilant and keep their focus on the corporate goal of the agency.
On Saturday, July 15, The ICIR reported that the Republic of Seychelles confirmed a ban on Nigerian tourists due to criminal activities traced to some Nigerian tourists, including drug trafficking and fraud.
“We have seen a clear link between this with certain people from Nigeria. In the past two weeks, for example, 13 people coming from Nigeria have been arrested when entering Seychelles because they were carrying drugs into the country,” the country’s Vice President Ahmed Afif said.
SOCIO-ECONOMIC Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sued Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the failure to disclose spending details of about N400 billion saved from the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol.
The organisation disclosed this via its Twitter handle on Sunday, August 6.
In the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, SERAP prayed the court to compel the President to provide a detailed account of how the funds will be used and allocated.
“SERAP is also seeking ‘an order of mandamus to compel President Tinubu to provide details of the mechanisms that have been put in place to ensure that the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol are not diverted into private pockets’ “ the statement partly read.
The organisation also said publishing the spending details will promote public trust and hold responsible individuals accountable for their actions, adding that the Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations all support citizens’ right to access information about the government’s activities.
“The Tinubu government has a legal obligation to ensure that the savings from the removal of subsidy on petrol are spent solely for the benefit of the 137 million poor Nigerians who are bearing the brunt of the removal.
“SERAP is also arguing that, opacity in the spending of the savings from subsidy removal would have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens and the public interest,” the statement read.
In July, SERAP demanded Tinubu publishes spending details of the N400 billion saved as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy.
SERAP had given Tinubu 7 days to comply with their demands or face legal action.
Tinubu announced the removal of petrol subsidy on May 29, while delivering his inaugural speech, after which fuel prices surged by about 200 per cent.
The surge in fuel costs resulted in some hardship for Nigerians, as transport costs and other businesses have been affected by the hike.
On Friday, June 30, oil marketers said that the Federal Government had saved N400 billion as a result of the removal, based on calculations by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Mele Kyari on Nigerians monthly subsidy expenditure.
Tinubu also said in an address to the nation on Monday, July 31, that the sum of N1 trillion had been saved since the removal of the fuel subsidy.
“In a little over two months, we have saved over a trillion Naira that would have been squandered on the unproductive fuel subsidy, which only benefitted smugglers and fraudsters. That money will now be used more directly and more beneficially for you and your families,” Tinubu said.
However, it is not clear where the saved funds are being channelled to.
President of the National Labour Congress Joe Ajaero, during a protest by Organised Labour in the country, said that according to federal government officials involved in the negotiation process, the country had not saved any money despite the subsidy removal.
“Mr President talked about N1trillion saved. The committee where we meet, they told us that no one kobo has been saved so far; therefore, we have not agreed on what to pay anywhere,” Ajaero said.
WHILE scores of Nigerians grapple with the cost-of-living crisis caused by abolishing fuel subsidies and the unification of naira – two measures experts describe as inflationary but necessary – the federal government plans to spend N110 billion as palliative allocation to the National Assembly (NASS).
The NASS approved N70 billion from the N819.5 billion 2022 supplementary budget to support the working condition of the new lawmakers and earmarked an extra N40 billion for the acquisition of 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), bulletproof cars for principal officials and members.
The senate committee on Media and Public Affairs called criticism against the bogus amount a misguided attempt to describe the appropriated sum as a gift. Yemi Adaramodu, chairman of the committee, said, “Passage of the Supplementary Appropriation Act was part of the constitutional duties of the Senate to accommodate funding for the Federal Government’s Palliative for the Nigerian public, among other National demands.”
However, N110 billion shared among the 469 NASS members leaves each legislator with N234.5 million, as opposed to the N8,000 for 12 million poor households for six months that was earlier approved.
What N110 billion lawmakers palliative can do for Nigeria
Although the federal government retracted on this, it had planned to share N500 billion among poor households by distributing N8000 each month.
An analysis by The ICIR showed beneficiaries can only afford one meal with the cash palliative.
Policies made in the last few months by the new administration have elicited Public backlash, but the 110bn allocated to NASS as palliative stoked outrage. To contextualise this issue, The ICIR evaluated how this sum can improve the condition of some major sectors in Nigeria.
How many PHCS can N110 billion build?
Nigeria has one of the fastest-growingpopulations globally at 2.4 per cent annually. Still, the healthcare system is underfunded and inefficient, falling short of multiple international indices.
For instance, the nation’s budgetary allocation to healthcare has consistently fallen below the global and International thresholds for years. The N1.08 trillion allocated for health is 5.57 per cent of the 2023 budget. It is beneath the 15 per cent of annual spending as agreed by African Union leaders.
This low funding for the health sector has affected the quality of community health care. Primary Health Care centres nationwide are in poor conditions and cannot provide essential healthcare services. They struggle with a shortage of water supply, insufficient power supply, inadequate equipment and poor distribution of health workers.
According to the Ministry of Health, only one-third of the 30,000 primary healthcare centres in the country are functional. However, funds allocated for PHCs are abysmal.
Examining the 2023 budget, The ICIR found that the money allocated to NASS as palliative is four times higher than the 2023 budget for PHCs, pegged at N22.77 billion.
If the 110bn allocated to lawmakers is diverted to improve community health care, Nigeria’s health system will be revamped.
For the construction of a PHC, N30 million was budgeted for the construction of one PHC in the national budget. Using this metric, the N110 billion palliative fund would construct no less than 3600 PHC in different communities.
How many classrooms can N110 billion build?
This sum can also be used to build 1,360 blocks of 11 standard classrooms across a country where overcrowded classroom continues to affect the quality of education provided.
A report by the Data Centre of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics listed Nigeria as one with the highest number of overcrowded classrooms in its secondary schools.
Congested classrooms affect both learning and teaching conditions. Research has shown that it reduces the quality of academic life and disturbs physical and psychological well-being. Many available classrooms are also unsuitable for learning because they are in poor conditions.
In the 2023 Budget, the Ministry of Education budgeted N80.5 million to construct one block of 11 classrooms. If this is used as a metric, N110 billion can be used to build nothing less than 1,360 blocks of 11 classrooms. That is a total of 14,960 classrooms.
It means 586 of the 774 local governments in Nigeria will get two blocks of 11 classrooms, while 188 will get a block of 11 classrooms.
The allocation of such amounts to lawmakers as palliatives is unfair to poor Nigerians, according to Iyanu Bolarinwa, assistant manager of international growth for BudgIT foundation.
Bolarinwa said the new administration had made many adjustments, and nothing has been done to reduce the suffering it induced or fix existing problems in the country.
“The plan for citizens was that N8000 would be given to ten million households for six months. When you calculate that, you realise that when it comes to the macro level, the amount does not translate to seeing the result that you will want to see.
“I think there should be a level of priority to come to place for citizens. Lawmakers do not really represent the interest of the people but their self-interest, from what we have all seen. I’ll like to see citizens ask more questions and follow up with their lawmakers to see how life can be made more easier for them and also how this government can put into place measures to counter the hardship that the removal of subsidies has caused,” he said.
In this investigation, Yerwa Express News reveals how the Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency violated the state’s procurement law in the execution of a water project, to the detriment of the people.
WHEN Hauwa Ali lost her husband four years ago and was left to fend for eight children, she knew life would be tough, but she didn’t envisage trekking at least a kilometre to fetch water for her family’s use.
The widow, who lives in Umarari Bulamari area of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council in Borno state, said residents sometimes rely on local water vendors who sell 240 litres of water at the cost of N350.
Water vendors at a private borehole in Umarari Bulama
When there is no water, Hauwa Ali, 40, who is solely dependent on a N50,000 capital selling local perfume, treks at least a kilometre with her children to fetch water.
“I sometimes buy four trips of water, each at the cost of N350 weekly. However, the worst happens when we are out of money. In some intervals, a good Samaritan offers some help with water but it is not always the case,” she said.
“My legs are all aching now because anytime there is a need to fetch water and my children are in school, I have to do it myself,” the widow added.
Hauwa’s story is not so different from that of many other residents of Umarari Bulamari, a predominantly trading community of about 20,000 residents, according to community leaders.
Epicentre of Umarari Bulamari
The community has two boreholes: the Umarari Bulamari new borehole, located close to the house of Bulama (the community head) and the ‘Umarari Bulamari old borehole, about a kilometre away from the first one.
The boreholes are powered by diesel. However, they operate at interval days, sometimes after a week, because the supply of the diesel by government is insufficient. Though the community is connected to electricity, the boreholes are not. Residents of the community say solar-powered boreholes could ease their sufferings.
The new borehole was constructed in 2016 by the present Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima when he was governor between 2011 and 2019. According to community leaders, the old borehole was constructed by the then administration of the Late Muhammad Goni between 1979–1983.
At the time of this reporter’s visit to the community, schools in the state were in session, but many children were seen fetching water when the new borehole came on. A Primary 3 student in one of the community government schools, who spoke with the consent of her mother, said, “Any day the borehole comes on, I go to school at 9 a.m. because I need to fetch water, and the borehole will stop working by 2 p.m.”
Residents Stationed at Umarari Bulamari New Borehole
“The Umarari Bulamari new borehole gets an allocation of 100 litres of diesel for two weeks, which isn’t enough to operate the borehole every day,” a resident of the community and a civil servant working with the Borno State Ministry of Water Resources stated this in an anonymous capacity.
The residents complained that the insufficient supply of diesel is sometimes forcing them to search elsewhere for water.
“Sometimes the Umarari Bulamari new borehole will not work for about a week simply because there is no supply of diesel from the government. It is really frustrating,” Hassan Bukar, a 30-year-old resident of the community, said.
“I was here since morning with my children, but due to long queues, I could not fetch two buckets of water,” said Hannatu Ibrahim, a 35-year-old community resident.
“The borehole will stop work by 2 p.m.,” the mother of 10 lamented and explained that the borehole is not guaranteed to work daily.
The Community Head, Bulama Mala Ali, said they had made efforts to rescue the situation but to no avail.
Picture of Bulama Mala Ali, the Community Leader
“We have been to the Ministry of Water Resources many times, and they promised us that they will find a solution to our problems. Just recently, we suggested that since electricity has returned to Maiduguri, they should connect the boreholes to electricity, but we are yet to see them,” Bulama Mala said.
He urged the government to use the transformer stationed close to the borehole to connect it to electricity.
Government intervention not implemented
While the people of Umarari Bulamari have continued to wait for government intervention, investigations reveal that the state government had awarded contracts in 2021 for the installation of solar panels and the construction of a 40,000-overhead tank for the Umarari Bulamari new borehole to improve water supply in the community. These two projects were, however, not implemented according to government contractual terms.
Records from the Borno State Bureau for Public Procurement show that the contracts were completed on January 6, 2021. However, on-site investigations reveal otherwise, as there were no traces of such intervention in the Umarari Bulamari community.
The 2021 2nd Quarter SME Contract Information for the Borno State Bureau of Public Procurement shows that the project for the purchase of solar panel inverters and other accessories was awarded at the cost of N1,480, 000 while the construction of a 40,000-litre overhead tank was put at the cost N2,000,000. The document shows that both projects for the newly drilled borehole at Umarari Bulamari have been completed.
The document stated that the two contracts were awarded on “5/1/2021 and completed on 6/1/2021.” It named IK Chumax Global as the contractor for the purchase of the solar panel equipment while Abba Tor and Sons Nig Ltd is listed as the contractor for the construction of the 40,000-litre overhead tank.
However, when this reporter visited the site of Umarari Bulamari new borehole on May 9, 2023, there was no trace of solar panel, inverter or any accessories.
Hannatu’s daughter, taking her first trip home after Umarari Bulamari new borehole came on
“What happened was the rehabilitation of an existing overhead,” a resident and civil servant in the community told our reporter in confidence.
Community leaders also said there was no such intervention as spelled out by the project document, within the community in 2021.
“The Umarari Bulamari new borehole gets an allocation of 100 litres of diesel for two weeks which isn’t enough to operate the borehole every day,” the civil servant stated and explained that no solar panel project has been sited in the community.
The rehabilitated overhead tank of Umarari Bulamari New Borehole
This was also confirmed by Modu Jarturma, another community leader who said, “No solar was installed on the Umarari Bulamari new borehole in 2021, and no construction of tanks was made either.”
We have done our part – Contractors this reporter contacted IK Chumark Global Nig Ltd, the contractor responsible for the supply of solar panel equipment for the project. The CEO of the company, Ikechukwu Nwanbo, however, told this reporter that he had done his part by supplying the solar panels to the Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency.
When pressed by this reporter, Nwanbo showed invoices and receipts endorsed by the agency.
The invoice and receipt read: “16 units of panel (each at N45,000) N720, 000, a unit of inverter at cost of N400,000, 4 units of cable (each at N90, 000) at the cost of N360,000). Total: N1,480,000.”
Invoice presented by Nwambo
There was, however, no certificate of contract completion or any other related document to justify Nwanbo’s claim.
According to Nwambo, his contact person within the Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency is one Engineer Babagana Sa’ad which this reporter later discovered is the current Director of Operation at the water agency.
“I am only a supplier and I have done my part. The items were taken from my shop by Engineer Sa’ad and Engineer Gujja. This is the invoice receipt they acknowledged. I don’t know how they used the materials,” Nwanbo said. Abdullahi Alhaji Gujja is an Assistant Technical Officer at the Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency.
For the 40, 000-litre water tank, our correspondent reached out to Usman Tar, the CEO of Abba Tor and Sons Nig Ltd, by phone which was provided in the procurement record. The contractor also claimed to have done his part.
“We constructed the overhead tank. It was 40, 000 litres. We received our payment. I will check the receipt and show you,” Tar said in a phone conversation with this reporter.
Usman Tar also promised to take this reporter to the project site but he did not keep to any of these promises. This reporter followed up on him with calls but he neither answered nor returned them.
Section 18 (16) of the Borno State Procurement Law (2019 as amended) states that in a situation of controversy over execution of contracts, “the burden of proving fulfillment of the requirement for participation in any procurement proceedings shall lie on the supplier or contractor.”
However, neither Nwambo nor Tar could provide any evidence to prove their claims.
Abuse of procurement procedures, discrepancies in contract execution
The 2021 2nd Quarter SME contract records show that both contracts were awarded on 5th January 2021 and completed January 6, 2021. However, when asked whether the contracts could have been completed in a day, Abubakar Habib, a civil engineer with AA Construction Company in Borno State, said “it is not possible,” and described it as “a big contradiction.”
Habib explained that there are several processes to follow before constructing an overhead tank. “Even when you have the tank constructed already, you need to cast a flow for the tank. And that also will take some days,” he said.
The procurement record also shows that the contracts were awarded by way of selective tendering. Selective tendering (sometimes known as restricted tendering) is a bidding process where only certain vendors can bid for the project. Specifically, these will be vendors that the buyer has personally invited to vie for the contract.
The contract for the supply of solar equipment showed three companies bidded for the project. They are IK Chumax Global, Kilme Metine Company Nig Ltd, and Discovery Concepts Interlinks.
In the contract for the construction of 40, 000 overhead water tank, records show only Abba Tar and Sons Nig Ltd bidded for the contract.
IK Chumax Global, however, confirmed that his company did not participate in any bidding process, despite what is stated in the procurement records. Nwambo also admitted that he does not do contracts, but admitted that the agency buys supplies from him.
“Anytime the agency wants something, they come to my shop and take it. This one was Engineer Sa’ad and Engineer Gujja that came to my shop and took it,” Nwambo said after this reporter showed him a report of the Bureau where his company was mentioned as a contractor.
Section 18 (5), of the Borno State Procurement Law (2019 as amended) states that, “subject to the prior review threshold, as may be set by the Bureau, any procurement purported to be awarded without a “Certificate of No Objection to contract award” duly issued by the Bureau shall be null and void.”
Yet, neither Nwambo nor Tar could provide a certificate of no objection for their contracts award.
Controversy over status of companies Section 18(6b) of the Borno State Procurement Law 2019 (amended) states that “all bidders, in addition to the requirements contained in any solicitation documents, shall; possess the legal capacity to enter into the procurement contract.”
However, a search through the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, portal revealed that all three companies that bidded for the suppoly of solar equipment; IK Chumax Global, Kilme Metine Company Nig Ltd, and Discovery Concepts Interlinks were not registered.
When this reporter contacted Nwambo of IK Chumax Global, whose company presumably won the contract award, at his shop, opposite Borno State Mechanical Workshop, he said the name of his company is IK Chumark Global Nig Ltd not IK Chumax Global as stated in the contract document. Yet, a similar CAC search of IK Chumark Global Nig Ltd showed no results.
When asked again whether he knew his company was not registered, he insisted that his company had been registered and said he has a certificate for incorporation. When asked to show this reporter the certificate, Nwambo declined, instead, he asked the reporter to go to the CAC to get the certificate or go to the Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency to confirm the status of his company.
“How can you ask me this question? The company I am paying taxes for every year and you are asking whether it is registered. Stop disturbing me,” Nwambo said.
Ikechukwu Nwambo’s shop opposite Borno State Mechanical Workshop
Abba Tor and Sons Nig Ltd, the contractor for the 40,000-litre water tank was, however, found to be registered with the Nigerian CAC. But the status of the company was given as inactive.
This reporter made several attempt to reach Tar through calls to ask whether he knew his company was inactive, but he did not respond to calls.
CAC search on Tar’s company nameB2bhint search indicating Tar’s company as inactive
Borno Agency says project located in another community
The Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency, the procuring entity, when contacted, claimed it executed the contracts but not in Umarari Bulamari community.
The agency said the contracts were executed in a community known as Umarari Bulamari Kangale, not Umarari Bulamari as stated in procurement records. Engineer Babagana Sa’ad, the agency’s Director of Operations, who spoke to this reporter, insisted that Umarari Bulamari was not the targeted community.
He argued that it was not the habit of the agency to divert contracts but explained that the agency only “forgot” to add Kangale to the name of the community on the project documents.
“It was the locals that told us the location is Umarari Bulamari and we wrote it like that. What was omitted was only Gangale,” Engineer Sa’ad said.
This reporter found that the distance between Umarari Bulamari Gangale and Umarari Bulamari is about a half kilometer walk. The two communities, however, have two separate community leaders (Bulama). When Engineer Abdullahi Alhaji Gujja, the Assistant Technical Officer at the Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency took this reporter to a solar powered borehole in Umarari Bulamari Gangale, the reporter observed that the facility fits the contract description.
Image of Umarari Bulamari Gangale BoreholeSolar component of Umarari Bulamari Gangale Borehole
However, there was no sign-board to confirm that it was the project described in the procurement record. “We put up a sign-board. I think it was stolen,” Engineer Gujja said.
Some residents of the community said the project was executed in 2021. Others said it was just a year ago.
“It was constructed in 2021. It is not even commissioned but we have started using it already,” Ahmed Bukar, a 35 years old whose house is close to the project site, said.
“I cannot tell exactly when this project was carried out but I know it is up to a year now,” Bashir Musa, who said he has lived in the community since 2015, said.
However, when this reporter asked the Bulama of the Umarari Bulamari Kangale community, Bulama Abba Modu, when the project was executed, he was not specific, even though he confirmed that the borehole and solar system were constructed under the administration of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.
Some of the elders of the community who accompanied this reporter to the community leader were also not specific. They also claimed the project was executed two years ago.
From the project site, this reporter, along with Engineer Gujja, went back to the agency to meet Engineer Sa’ad, the agency’s director of operations where this reporter requested to inspect the project file in order to clarify the issue of location and contracts award procedure, but he declined.
“It is Umarari Bulamari that is written in the records,” he confessed adding that “It was the locals that told us the name of the location is Umarari Bulamari and we wrote it like that. What was omitted was only Gangale,” Sa’ad insisted.
Section 18(12,14) of the Borno State Procurement Law 2019 as amended states that “every procurement entity shall maintain both file and electronic records of all procurement proceedings made within each financial year and the procurement records shall be maintained for a period of ten years from the date of this award.”
The law also states that “All unclassified procurement records shall be open to inspection by the public at the cost of copying and certifying the documents plus an administrative charge as may be prescribed from time to time by the Bureau.”
The agency, however, denied the inspection of the files in gross violation of the procurement law.
Offenses and punishment
Even though on paper, the Borno State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency claimed to have followed all the state’s procurement procedures in execution of the contract, in reality, it did not. There was no assessment of problems and competitive bidding as provided by the state’s procurement law, 2019 as amended. The staff of the agency expected to monitor the execution of the contracts to ensure compliance to these procedures failed to do so.
This violation is frowned out by section 59 (5) of the state procurement law 2019 as amended which states: “Any person whilst carrying out his duties as an officer of the Bureau. Or Any procuring entity who contravenes any provision of the Law commits an offence and is liable on conviction to cumulative punishment of:- (a) a term of imprisonment of two years with an option of fine and restitution; (b) summary dismissal from government service.
This report republished from Yerwa News Express is supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
