Investigation: Community Left To Suffer After ₦297.7 Million Road Project Stalls

By Archibong Jeremiah

Residents of Ayeabam community in Akamkpa local government area in Southern Cross River State, are suffering due to an unfinished road project awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2014 and the Cross River Basin Development Authority (CRBDA) in 2021. Both contractors abandoned the project, and NDDC violated the Public Procurement Act of 2007, TheInvestigator uncovered.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, contracted Bayou La Batre Ltd to construct the Ayeabam-Awi road in Akamkpa local government area of Cross River State valued at ₦248,435,000.

On the NDDC website, the contract is listed as a completed project, but an investigation by this digital newspaper reveals otherwise.

Apart from lying that the project was completed, TheInvestigator established that NDDC violated section 16, sub 6(i) of the Public Procurement Act of 2007 in the contract awarded to Bayou La Batre Ltd.

The company was registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on Valentine’s Day, 14th of February 2012, its registration number is RC 1010063, and the directors are Ozigbu Johnbosco, Arigbodi Richardson, and Amangala George.

It was incorporated for “petroleum products sales and distribution” services. Engaging it in constructing the Ayeabam-Awi road in Akamkpa violates section 16, sub 6(i) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 which mandates that a bidder must have “professional and technical qualifications to carry out particular procurements.”

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Broken Promises: Callywood Studio Lies Fallow Despite Millions Spent

By Christiana Ofem

Public money intended to revitalize Cross River’s Callywood studio went astray. A probe found the N43 Million contract for studio equipment went to an unregistered company, violating procurement laws. The studio is now derelict, and the entertainment industry is frustrated. Pressure mounts on the new governor to investigate and breathe life back into the project.

From October 8th to 22nd, 2020 several cities in Nigeria were rocked with the #EndSARS and #PoliceBrutality peaceful protests demanding the immediate disbanding of the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force.

Days later, the peaceful protest turned into massive looting and destruction of public and private properties.

In Cross River State the problem started on Friday evening, 23rd October 2020 when some youths under the guise of a protest, broke into the State Housing and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) warehouses in Calabar and made away with the COVID-19 palliatives before other citizens joined them to cart away both food and non-food items.

WAEC and JAMB headquarters in the State capital, Tinapa, the University of Calabar, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) office, the Garment Factory, and the Rice Seed and Seedlings Factory were touched by the looting and destruction.

 

 

Some government politicians’ houses and private business premises were equally looted and destroyed in the process.

Among the properties touched by the looters in Tinapa, Cross River State’s once most-priced business and leisure resort is the Callywood studio. It operates from Callywood City located inside Tinapa, Adiabo in 8 Miles Calabar Municipal local government area.

Callywood City Ltd was incorporated by Governor Ben Ayade on the 18th of July 2016 with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a private company limited by shares. Its registration number is RC 1348381 and its status is inactive, see the directors below.

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Financial Anomalies Uncovered: Over 10 Nigerian Ministries Engage In Illegal Transactions

By Archibong Jeremiah

The investigation uncovered financial irregularities involving over 10 Nigerian Ministries engaging in illegal transactions. The MDAs reportedly violated Nigeria’s Financial Regulations, 2009 by paying public funds into personal accounts and engaging in questionable transactions. The investigation highlighted numerous instances of financial misconduct and raised significant concerns regarding financial oversight and accountability in Nigeria.

Between 2018 and 2024 records from GovSpend, an analytic tool designed to give user-friendly access to information on the daily spending of the Federal Government of Nigeria at all levels have shown that some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) engaged in transactions that go against the country’s Financial Regulations, 2009.

TheInvestigator probe of financial transactions by Federal MDAs revealed that money meant for official assignments was paid into personal accounts to the tune of over N1.8b.

Chapter Seven (bank accounts and cheques) section 713 (public and personal money to be kept separate) of Nigeria’s Financial Regulations 2009 which emphasises separating public and personal money in government transactions needed to be adhered to.

Section 713 states, “Personal money shall in no circumstances be paid into a government bank account, nor shall any public money be paid into a private bank account. An officer who pays public money into a private account is deemed to have done so with fraudulent intention.”

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