FG: Violators of due process law risk 5 years in jail - Contractors deny non-registration allegation

Idowu Samuel and Bola Badmus - 19.03.2008

A minimum of a five-year jail term awaits civil servants and contractors who may have engaged in sharp practices in the course of awarding contracts on the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).
Making this disclosure on Tuesday was the Director-General of the Due Process Office in the Presidency, Mr. Emeka Eze, who also stressed that anyone found culpable of breaching the law on the Public Procurement Act would not be spared prosecution henceforth.
Eze's disclosure came on the heels of the reaction by 10 contractors who were alleged to have collected the NIPP contracts during the last civilian government without being registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), that they indeed registered contrary to the claims by the commission.
The contractors had mobilised to the venue of the public hearing on the power sector to protest what they described as omission by the Corporate Affairs Commission, although they were prevented by the panel’s chairman, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, from making their case.
The spokesperson for the contractors, Alhaji Abdul Mohammed, had addressed the media, stating that he and his other colleagues who took the NIPP contracts were shocked by the CAC’s claim that it had no record of the registration for their companies.
He produced copies of the Certificate of Incorporation duly certified by the CAC, stressing that he in particular had directed his lawyers to take up the matter with the commission.
He said it was wrong for the CAC to misinform members of the public about some of the contractors whom he said had satisfied all requirements for company registration, as he stated, “It is high time the commission was told to do its homework well before making a public statement."
The contractor, in a bid to prove that his company was registered, quoted the registration number on the Certificate of Incorporation by the CAC for his company as RC 55966, disclosing that the Commission registered his company, AOLAT Nigerian Limited, on July 18, 1983.
Other contractors that submitted their Certificates of Incorporation for verification by the probe panel include Unique Crown Nig. Ltd, Tajkay Nig. Ltd, Hatdol Nig. Ltd, Akpo International Nig Ltd, Trakis Engineering Ltd, Aktra Nig Ltd and Elektrak Nig Ltd, all quoting their Certificate of Incorporation numbers as approved by the CAC.
Meanwhile, the governor of Ondo State, Chief Olusegun Agagu, who had earlier testified before House panel said he had been vindicated by the statements by the contractors, having earlier pleaded that the panel should do further investigation into claims by the CAC before jumping to conclusions.