N300m electrification project: We did not follow due process - Ex-Niger Commissioner

Dipo Laleye Minna - 06.02.2008

The judicial commission of inquiry looking into contacts awarded by the last administration in Niger State has been told that N300 million was released to the state Rural Electrification Board without following due process..

The immediate past Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Bala Liman, told the commission, sitting in Minna, that due process was not followed for the release of the money because the government then viewed rural electrification as an important programme.

Alhaji Bala, however, said that the state executive council approved the release of the money. In his evidence before the commission, the former commissioner, who was the chairman of the state tenders board between 1999 and 2003, said he was not aware of any law guiding the operations of the board, adding that contracts were awarded on requests for particular projects by the ministries and parastatals concerned.

He said that it was not the responsibility of the board to monitor the execution of projects after contracts had been awarded, saying such a responsibility was that of the budget and planning in collaboration with the ministry benefitting from the contract.

Liman also said that payments for contracts executed were not automatic but based on availability of funds, maintaining also that competence of contractors and the need of the people were largely considered before contracts were awarded.

Meanwhile, the tribunal has ordered the former Commissioner for Education and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry to appear before it over some failed contracts awarded by the ministry.