The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has informed the House of Representatives Adhoc Committee investigating the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) contracts between 2010 and 2014, that it discontinued the probe of Eastern rail line project because there was no reason to continue.
An operative of the commission, Mr Ike Okonjo, who represented the chairman, Ibrahim Magu, at the ongoing investigative public hearing at the weekend, tendered an official memo which terminated the probe before the committee.
According to the letter with Ref. No: PS/FMOT//44/Vol.I/5 dated January 25, 2011, signed by P. J. Major, a former Permanent Secretary, and addressed to the former acting Managing Director of NRC, Adeseyi Sijuwade, the investigation was terminated by the EFCC under the leadership of its erstwhile chairman, Mrs Farida Waziri.
“We noted that in the course of the investigation, you have appeared several times before the commission for interrogation. The Executive Chairman of EFCC has written to inform the Ministry of Transport that her commission has found no ground to continue with the investigation and the matter therefore has been terminated.
“With this development, I wish to advice that you should refocus on your job by ensuring that all subsequent procurement processes in Nigerian Railway Corporation are conducted in full compliance with the Public Procurement Act of 2007,” the letter stated.
However, another letter with reference No: EFCC/EC/NSA/04/33 dated January 18, 2011, signed by Mrs Waziri and addressed to the then National Security Adviser (NSA) stated that: “Out of the 13 pre-qualified companies, Syndicate Construction & Commercial Company Ltd and Esser Nigeria Contracting Company Ltd were recommended by NRC to the Federal Ministry of Transport for the award of the contract.
“That the contract was eventually cancelled by the Federal Ministry of Transport with the instruction that the whole process be recommenced afresh as there were no tender notice placed in any international journal.
“From the foregoing, the bidding process in the award of contract for the rehabilitation of Nigerian Railway Eastern Line from Port Harcourt to Kafanchan and from Kafanchan to Maiduguri was cancelled even before the petition was written.
“It is therefore reasonable that further investigation into this case be discontinued to avoid waste of government fund and valuable time,” Waziri said.
According to the committee’s chairman, Hon Johnson Agbonayinma, the EFCC observed that the tax clearance certificates submitted by three pre-qualified companies out of the 13 companies, were genuine while Syndicate Construction & Commercial Company Limited initially submitted forged tax clearance certificate but withdrew them and re-submitted valid ones.
While responding, the EFCC official Okonjo said: “as it is Mr Chairman Sir, the letter looks like it emanated from our office from the letter-heading but I cannot really confirm whether it actually came from our office at this stage because I didn’t have any brief to that effect from our current chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu.
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