The National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) has been rocked by scandal following the termination of a N3.2 billion worth of contract after the due conclusion of the procurement process.
The contractors have petitioned the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the supervising ministry, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development over the development.
The petitioners include the Managing Director of Messrs Taj Print Media Nigeria Ltd, Joseph Abu and 33 other companies.
The Commission had in a letter dated August 14, 2024 with reference No: NCPWD/PROC/PTB/2024/002 and signed by Mrs. Esther H. Dyaji, Head (Procurement) for the Executive Secretary, awarded the said contact to Messrs. Taj Print and Media Nigeria Limited, for the “award of contract for the purchase of assistive devices for the blind at the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.”
In the petition against the Executive Secretary and his Chief of Staff, Abdullahi Ibrahim Tanimu, the contractors alleged a hijack of the commission by external elements outside the commission and the parent ministry.
They want the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the supervising ministry, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development over the development, to save the federal government from multiple litigations and costs arising from the NCPWD’s abuse of office and breach of the provisions of the public procurement law.
The petitioners who the commission under the leadership of its former Executive Secretary, James Lalu, awarded contracts to supply assistive devices for Persons With Physical Disabilities worth N3.2 billion with a completion period of two weeks between July and October 2024, also led a protest to the headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Abuja over the breach.
The contractors are contending that while some of the beneficial companies had started delivering the devices at huge financial costs, the newly appointed Executive Secretary, Ayuba Burki Gufwan suddenly announced the termination of the contracts without notice or due process.
A petition for investigation dated December 4, 2024 and signed by their lawyers, J. B. Damidami and Jackson Bako alleged that the commission’s action of unlawfully terminating and rejecting the “executions of contracts duly advertised, bided for and won by various beneficial contractors without communication with the respective contractors (was) for the sole aim of re-awarding same contracts to his privies, agents and assigns.”
However, responding to the petition, the commission in a letter dated November 19, 2024 and addressed to the Director General, Bureau of Public Procurement, explained that the contract was revoked as a result of doubt and lack of trust in the process for the award.
