Edo govt, Obaseki disagree over alleged inflation of projects

The Edo State Assets Verification Committee, set up by the State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, on Thursday, accused the previous administration of inflating a road project from N8 billion to N16 billion.

The contract sum for the 17.5-kilometer road project was inflated thrice within a year, according to the committee.

Reacting, Crusoe Osagie, Media Adviser to former Governor Godwin Obaseki said, “As we have repeatedly pointed out, Okpebholo’s real challenge lies in his lack of capacity and unpreparedness for office.”

Osagie urged the Edo State governor to settle down, build capacity, and focus on working for the people of Edo State during the short time he will spend at Dennis Osadebey Avenue, rather than resorting to unintelligent lies to score cheap political points.

The project manager of the construction firm, Ifiok Kong, who spoke to the committee, said a company was mobilised with N2.9 billion, representing 25 percent of the contract sum of N8 billion.

Kong said after the mobilisation, the contract sum was varied, with some amount added to the initial cost of the project.

He added that the completion period of the job, which was initially three and a half years, was, however, reviewed downward to 18 months.

The project manager said the contract sum was initially N8 billion in September 2023 but was reviewed upward to N12 billion in 2024 and later to the current sum of N16.4 billion in June 2024.

Speaking on the claim, a member of the subcommittee, Engr. Abass Braimah, who frowned at the development, said the increment was 100 percent.

“I don’t think there is anywhere in Nigeria or outside of this subnational that a project can be awarded for N8 billion, reviewed to N12 billion, and further reviewed to N16 billion,” he said.

“Why not just review it and take the entire purse of Edo State? If we can review from N8 billion to upward of between N12 billion and N16 billion in one year?

“What has substantially changed for you to have a 100 percent increment from N8 billion to N16 billion? Meanwhile, the job specification or contents have not changed. It is still the same thing.

“Against the backdrop of several other companies that tendered, they gave you this job at N8 billion. After the job was awarded at N8 billion, they reviewed it with a 50 percent increment. Fifty percent of N8 billion is N4 billion, which increased the sum to N12 billion, and they further reviewed it to N16 billion. What type of games are we playing here? These are games.”

Earlier, the chairman of the subcommittee, Patrick Obahiagbon, said the explanation by the project manager confirmed the content of a petition the committee received on the alleged inflation of the contract sum for the road project.