Sen Nwaoboshi in trouble over N3.4bn NNDC contract scam

* Allegedly used 15 firms to secure NDDC contracts

* Contravenes provisions of Procurement Act

*EFCC closes in on embattled lawmaker, may arrest him soon

Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Senator Peter Noeluka Nwaoboshi, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, has been fingered in a fresh alleged N3.4 billion fraud case which has attracted the attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A source close to the EFCC also disclosed that the commission has launched a massive investigation into the matter, saying that the agency will soon take necessary action against Senator Nwaoboshi.

The source, who sought anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said: “I can tell you authoritatively that the agency has launched a massive investigation into matter. Don’t forget that the senator is also involved in the controversial supply of used (Tokunbo) equipment to Delta State and the subsequent acquisition of Guinea House property in Lagos, which is now a subject of litigation. Though I will not be able to give you details of the investigation on the NNDC contract, I can confirm to you that the commission will soon move against the senator.

Documents obtained by The Daily Times showed that the senator allegedly violated the Procurement Act when he was awarded NDDC contracts worth N232,209,600 each to 15 firms belonging to him without any competitive bidding.

According to the documents, Senator Nwaoboshi was awarded the contracts worth N3,483,144,000 to 15 companies registered in the names of his relatives and proxies for the production of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in 9 oil producing states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

Records of some of the alleged registered firms were however not reflected with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The 15 companies involved in the contracts are Benchmark Construction & Projects Limited; Milestone Allied Builders Limited; Edendoma Stars Intl; Isumabe U.K Global Ventures; Nelpat (Nig) Company; Edrihide Company; Antlers Construction & Allied Works Limited; AGH-Rown Ventures; NOAN Integrated Services Limited; De-Towers Construction & Allied Services; Eastern Wrought Iron Limited; Franstine Nig. Enterprise; Brant Technologies; Omozuabho Global Resources and Bugstruct Limited.

The development followed a petition written against the senator by the Anti-Corruption Group and Integrity Forum, a group interested in promoting good governance, transparency and sustenance of the rule of law in Nigeria.

The Daily Times further gathered that sometime in April, 2017, a petition was also written to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions over the alleged illegality and fraud in the process but the petition was said to have been swept under the carpet since Senator Nwaoboshi is also a member of the Privileges Committee.

It was also gathered that Senator Nwaoboshi collected 50% payment of the money. However after the petition was written, the senator was said to have rushed to commission plastic chairs and desks in some primary and secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.

According to the documents, out of the companies believed to have links with the Senator, Benchmark Construction & Projects Limited got the contract for the production of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in Abia State at the cost of N232,209,600; Milestone Allied Builders Limited and Edendoma Stars Intl got the same contract for the sum of N232,209,600 each for the same purpose in Akwa Ibom State; Isumabe U.K Global Ventures; Nelpat (Nig) Company and Edrihide Company also got N232,209,600 each for the same contract in Bayelsa State.

In Cross River State, Antlers Construction & Allied Works Limited got her share of the contract sum of N232, 209,600 for the same production of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools while AGH-Rown Ventures and NOAN Integrated Services Limited were also awarded the same contract in Delta State at the sum of N232, 209,600 each. Brant Technologies, Omozuabho Global Resources and Bugstruct Limited also got N232, 209,600 each for the same contract all in Rivers State.

De-Towers Construction & Allied Services, Eastern Wrought Iron Limited and Franstine Nig. Enterprise also got N232, 209,600 each as contract sum for the production of same plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in Edo, Imo and Ondo states respectively.

The curious aspect of the contracts centered on how the NDDC came about with a uniform reviewed project cost of N232,209,600 for all the 15 firms.

Further investigations into the registration profile of the above-mentioned companies with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Abuja revealed that 4 of the companies: Benchmark Construction & Projects Limited with RC No: 925180; Milestone Allied Builders Limited with RC No: 925074; Antlers Construction & Allied Works Limited with RC No: 925188 and De Towers Construction & Allied Services with RC No: 925182 were all registered on the same day (December 3, 2010) with Plot 3011B, Kuranakh Close, Maitama, FCT-Abuja as their registered address.

Incidentally, it is the same registered address for Golden Touch Construction Projects Limited, the firm Senator Nwaoboshi allegedly used to illegally acquire the 12-storey building at 27, Marine Road, Apapa, belonging to the Delta State government otherwise known as Guinea House.

On the other hand, Isumabe U.K Global Ventures with RC No: 2388764 and Edrihide Company with RC No: 238832 both have No. 7, Chief Michael Metuiwe Street, Off Okpanam Road, Asaba, Delta State as address for the companies which were registered on January 29 and February 2, 2016 respectively.

Noan Integrated Services Ltd. with RC No: 987259 was registered on October 17, 2011 with No. 1, Odagwe Lane, Isieke, Ibusa, Delta State as its registered address; Eastern Wrought Iron Limited with RC No: 3830 which was allegedly registered on June 20, 1964 is located at No. 5, Station Road, Box 404, Port Harcourt, Rivers State while Brant Technologies Limited with RC No: 395431, registered on November 22, 2000 is located at No. 34, Oromenike Layout, Emekuku Line, also in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

While Omozuabho Global Resources with RC No: 117508, located at Block D, Mosheshe Estate, Off Airport Road, Warri, Uvwie in Delta State was registered on September 9, 2011, Bugstruct Limited with RC No: 969754, registered on August 3, 2011 has Plot 120, Obiwali Road, Rumuigbo, Port Harcourt in Rivers State as the registered address.

Meanwhile, four out of the above-listed companies allegedly linked to Senator Nwaoboshi that equally got N232, 209,600 each as contract sum for the production of plastic desks and chairs for primary and secondary schools in the Niger Delta region were discovered not to be registered based on the records gathered at the CAC in Abuja.

The companies are: Edendoma Stars Intl which got the contract sum of N232, 209,600 for schools in Akwa Ibom; Nelpat (Nig) Company which got the same contract sum for schools in Bayelsa State; AGH-Rown Ventures got its share of the contract deal for schools in Delta State while Franstine Nig. Enterprise also got the same contract sum for schools in Ondo State.

The Daily Times further gathered that one of Nwaoboshi’s firms allegedly involved in the contract scam reportedly supplied about 75,000 pieces of the plastics chairs and tables to Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital in January, 2018, out of the nine oil producing states.

The development came after the petition against the contract was submitted to the EFCC as the petition was filed in April 2017.

The Daily Times recalls that Federal High Court in Lagos had in 2017 ordered the temporary forfeiture of Guinea House, a Delta State owned property in Lagos illegally acquired by Senator Nwaoboshi through one of his proxy companies to the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, efforts made to get response from the embattled senator on the allegation proved abortive on Friday night as calls put through to his phone number failed to connect at press time.