…announces upcoming audit
A civil society organization, the Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), has voiced its apprehension regarding the approval of a variation that led to a ₦52.6 million increase in the contract sum for the rehabilitation of the Adeta-Pakata roundabout road, bringing the total spent to ₦294 million.
ENetSuD also raised questions about the approval of an 86% payment, despite the contractor completing only 55% of the work at the time of approval, as indicated by the Kwara State Ministry of Works.
In a statement signed by Comrade Gambari Volvo, Director of Investigation and Public Petition (Kwara Central) at ENetSuD, the organization disclosed its possession of the contract documents for the reconstruction of the Adeta roundabout – Pakata roundabout road in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The contract for the project was initially awarded on January 31, 2022, to Casarez Construction Ltd at an initial sum of ₦241,437,610.
ENetSuD stated that on November 21, 2022, Governor AbdulRahman received a request from the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu, to approve a variation of the contract sum amounting to ₦52,647,444.
According to the organization, the Governor approved this request for an upward revision of the contract sum on the same date (November 21, 2022). Consequently, the revised contract sum increased to ₦294,085,054, effective from that date.
“Two days after the upward revision of the contract sum (on November 23, 2022), the Governor also received another request from the Commissioner to approve another tranche of payment of ₦105,000,000 to the contractor. The Governor approved this request on the same date.”
ENetSuD further revealed that as of November 23, 2022, the Governor had already approved a total sum of ₦252,800,198 for payment to the contractor, even though the contractor had completed only 55% of the work at the time of approval, as indicated by the Ministry.
ENetSuD stated its intention to conduct an audit of this project to determine whether the approved contract sum of ₦294 million corresponds with the work done on the site by the contractor.
