The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) paid ₦187.1 million (₦187,112,542.87) for the purchase of computers in 2019, Dataphyte report has revealed.
However, of six contractors awarded, In all, five out of the six contractors are unregistered and not approved to bid for federal government contracts; a move criticized in the past for its breach of section 113 (i) of the Financial Regulations 2009 and the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
Only one contractor met the requirements of the Bureau of Public Procurement. The other five non-compliant contractors got ₦143 million out of the figure.
Besides some questionable acquisitions, the NSCDC’s dealings left qualified contractors out of the bid circle.
So, on the one hand, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps disbursing ₦187,112,542.87 for computers may raise questions on the price of each computer. But the bigger fish remains Abdullahi Muhammadu-led NSCDC’s continuous violations of Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act 2007.
A breakdown of NSCDC’s transactions visible on the government’s Open Treasury Portal from February 2019 to December of the same year which features a questionable ₦40.5M computer set acquisition.
The acquisition of the ₦40.5 million desktop computer was from Akakaa Global Services Limited, an unqualified contractor.
Questionable and Unqualified Contractors – almost all not on FG’s verified Contractors’ List
Now, while Akakaa Global Services and Goodwise Global Services Limited are regular contractors of the NSCDC, they have not met requirements to bid for federal contracts. This negates Nigeria’s procurement laws.
An earlier report by Dataphyte also revealed how the agency also awarded COVID-19 emergency contracts to the two illegal firms. Akakaa Global Services got a contract to procure hand sanitisers for the agency at ₦29.75 million. It has Suleiman Yasokoto, Akaka Usman, Tanimu Abubakar, and Ahmadu Yadoo on its board as directors with no record of specific business activities.
Goodwise Global Services got a COVID-19 jungles contract worth ₦16.94 million. But despite public outcry and the Bureau of Public Procurement looming sanctions, the security outfit continues to turn deaf ears.
Even more worrisome, out of the six companies, only Geophonix Global Services Limited complied and met the Bureau Of Public Procurement requirements. The others, Demi Adebayo Ventures, DBuilders Marketing Concepts, and Samdav Marketing Concepts, have no record on the federal government contractors’ database.
Continuous Violations Against Procurement Act and Financial Regulations
Moreover, these actions denied many qualified contractors to bid and get millions worth of contracts from the MDA. It also violated section 113 (i) of the Financial Regulations 2009 and the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
The Act allows procurement through the “National Competitive Bidding.” It means that the solicitation of bids from domestic contractors and suppliers must be registered or incorporated to carry on business under Nigerian law.
To bid for federal government tenders, the BPP also set out five requirements. These include CAC registration, National Social Insurance Trust Fund certificate, Industrial Training Fund (ITF) Compliance Certificate. Others are the National Pension Commission (PenCom) compliance certificate and BPP Federal Contractor Certificate.
Mansur Mamman, a Specialist at the Bureau of Public Procurement, had said anything short of those requirements; such unqualified contractors would not be allowed to do business with the federal government.
(Data Source: Dataphyte)
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