NPA followed due process in Escravos contract award, says management

The management of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has insisted that it followed due process in the award of contract to dredge Escravos Bar in Warri, Delta State.A statement issued by NPA’s management said companies that lost out in their bid to secure the contract for the dredging of the Escravos Bar were responsible for the allegations of fraud against it.

“The NPA has maintained a dignified silence on the allegations until now, as a result of the confidence that all processes in the Procurement Act, 2004 were followed in the award of the contract.

“If indeed the said entity had any valid grounds for protests even as they continue to peddle lies against the Authority, they should have made recourse to the law courts, rather than make their point on the pages newspapers,” the statement added.

The NPA said after due consideration of its obligations of being accountable to the Nigerian people whom it serves, it has decided to address the situation, adding that it was guided by provisions of the Procurement Act in all its procurement processes.It maintained that it has not contravened the provisions of the law in the Warri contract or any other contract for that matter.

The NPA noted that all procurements were subject to the supervision and approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) from which the authority received the necessary approvals before awarding the contract for dredging the Warri Channel.

“All computations done by the NPA are in line with the PPA, which permits the procuring entity to do such and consequent documentations of the computations were submitted to BPP which was obliged.

“Upon receipt of the petition alleging that Dredging International Nigeria Limited had been convicted by a law court in Switzerland, the NPA sought the legal counsel from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and requested investigation of the petition by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). “In addition to this, although Dredging International Nigeria Limited provided a sworn affidavit in support of claims that they were different from the convicted firm, it engaged a legal practitioner who embarked on an independent investigation of the petition and its claims,” it added. The investigation, it said, revealed that allegations of corrupt practices involving the company, some officials of the Nigerian government and the NPA were incorrect.