Reps probe defence ministry hospital contract scam
The House of Representatives on Tuesday ordered an investigation into alleged underhand dealings in the award of a United Nations (UN) sponsored hospital contract by the Federal Ministry of Defence.
To this end, the House joint committees on Defence, Army and Public Procurement have been mandated to carry out a comprehensive investigation on the alleged scam, and report back its findings within two weeks.
The resolution authorizing the investigation followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf under matters of urgent national importance drawing attention of the House to the contract scam allegedly involving senior officials of the ministry as opposed to the anti-corruption posture of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration.
Yusuf, while moving the motion, informed the House that some high ranking appointees and officials in the Defence Ministry were allegedly involved in the said contract scam, citing media publications pointing to the duplication, misappropriation and mismanagement of the contract worth several millions of naira.
The lawmaker said that the contract for the relocation and refurbishing of Level 2 Hospital under the multidimensional integrated stabilization mission in Mali, funded by the UN, and awarded to countries who contribute troops to global peace missions, was full of alleged breaches.
Yusuf said, “In a desperate bid to cover its tracks, the Ministry of Defence in February 2017 allegedly awarded the contract for the rehabilitation and refurbishing of the hospital to a contractor who had zero experience in installation of level two hospitals,” adding that apart from awarding the contract in the name of another firm after getting presidential approval, the Ministry also flouted the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) guidelines on the award of contracts.
“As a consequence for not meeting the UN’s August 2017 deadline for the relocation of the hospital, Nigeria has been asked to withdraw its remaining contingent to the UN African Mission in Darfur”, he stated.
According to him, the alleged shady deals by top officials of the ministry has cost the country the deployment of level two hospital, which usually carry out limited surgeries on officers and men on military duties, to Rwanda as directed by the UN.
He said while countries like Bangledesh, Ghana, and Senegal with fewer troops-contribution to UN missions are earning huge foreign exchange, Nigeria with one of the highest contingent was not only losing money, but had been axed from participating in the peace keeping mission, as well as losing its position of global troops contribution rating from five to nine and from one to five in Africa.
Henry Omunu, Abuja
