Alleged 5bn COVID-19 PPE Fraud Uncovered in NDDC
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been allegedly involved in a multi-billion naira fraud. The issue is involving its board and top management members.
The subject matter is the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment and sanitizers to tackle Coronavirus in the nine states of the region.
SaharaReporters reports that a letter dated April 6, 2020 with a Ref number NDDC/MD/HPU/20/4/EHSS/05 revealed how the commission approved N5,474,647,125.00 for procurement of Personal Protective Equipment for health workers and provision of community-based sensitisation campaign against the spread of COVID-19 to a company named Signora Concept Services Limited.
The letter signed by Alex Ndudi Enebeli, Head of Procurement Unit for the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC. reads, “This is to notify you that based on your tender for emergency procurement of specialized medical Personal Protective Equipment for health workers and provision of community-based sensitization campaign against the spread of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases in the nine-state of the Niger Delta region, the contract has been awarded to you at the total cost of N5,474,647,125.00 only inclusive of 7.5 VAT as corrected and modified in accordance with the instruction to tenderers by the Niger Delta Development Commission.”
It was gathered that the company given the contract is yet to deliver the equipment after it was given 15 days to do so.
According to SaharaReporters, Signora Concept Services Limited was yet to deliver any equipment to a single state in the Niger Delta region 18 days after the contracted was awarded and payment made.
“Apart from N70m donation made by the NDDC about a month ago, we are yet to receive any single health equipment from the commission.
“Though we were promised ventilators, we got a letter later from them that it won’t be possible again.
“I’m surprised hearing now from you that over N5bn was budgeted for PPEs to be distributed to Niger Delta states,” a task force member of one of the Niger Delta states said.
READ: Edo Chief of Staff Taiwo Akerele Resigns
It was also reported that the NDDC had in January 2020 released N4,096,798,332.50 for the supply of Lassa Fever equipment that was never delivered.
