Nigeria Content Online

The
House of Representatives has ordered investigations into the massive
Abuja airport road project which the lawmakers say bear questionable
features in funding and terms, similar to the Abuja airport runway
currently under a similar probe.

Investigators are
to find out how the former Federal Capital Territory administration,
under Adamu Aliero, arrived at the whopping N257 billion for the
expansion of the twin outer expressways that lead to the city airport.

Also, they are to
determine why the administration discarded earlier agreed that the
project be funded through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the
private sector paying 60 per cent, while the government paid the
remaining.

Shortly after
flagging off the construction, Mr. Aliero secured the approval of the
late president, Umaru Yar’Adua, and opted for a total government
funding of construction work, the motion sponsor, Dino Melaye said.

The job was awarded
to Julius Berger Plc, which has recently come under attacks for
undertaking to construct a 4.4km Abuja airport second runway an
“outrageous” cost of N64 billion.

In the road
contract , a member, Gbenga Onigbogi, who said he accessed the terms,
alleged the company quoted a tonne of iron rod for N500, 000 each
against market price of N100,000.

“We need to find
out why jobs involving the Julius Berger don’t always go through
competitive bidding and the costs are often times varied,” said Rivers
state member, Betty Appiafi.

The House Aviation
committee has held hearings on the runway contract where shocking
details were revealed. Its reports have yet to be formally submitted
and approved by the house.

At that amount, the
contract was granted without a bill of quantity, in-house costing by
the aviation authorities. Also amazing negligence on the role of the
Bureau for Public Procurement was uncovered.

For the Airport
road construction, recently named after Mr. Yar’Adua, the
representatives are opting for an independent Adhoc committee to
conduct the inquiry.

The investigations
have been long in coming, after lawmakers raised concerns last year,
about the abandonment of the PPP option with the former FCT Minister,
Mr. Aliero, when the construction began.

Skeptical lawmakers

Mr. Aliero
explained then that the decision was taken after the federal government
discovered that the option will “mortgage Nigeria”.

“The private group
that was supposed to partner with government was to get money from the
commercial banks and the agreement would have made the government to
pay the interest rate which was too high,” recalled Leo Dilkon, the
Deputy Chairman of the House Finance committee, which met with Mr.
Aliero.

The interest rate amounted to N140 billion, Mr. Dilkon said.

But the lawmakers
are doubtful of the explanation, questioning whether such details were
overlooked before the signing of the contract.

“I see a similarity
between what happened on the airport runway project and what is
happening here,” said Igo Aguma, who represents Port Harcourt
constituency. “We need to find out how water entered the boat.” The
inquiry is to decide the true term of the deal, re-evaluate the
project, re-measure the road distance, compare charges for similar
construction in other parts of the northern zone, and recommend
prosecution for those found guilty of misdeeds.