Follow Us on Google
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
A Civil Society Organization (CSO), Citizen Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vises (CAACASVI), has petitioned the National Assembly, asking it to investigate the alleged corrupt and unfair practices in the award of contract for the supply of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) for use at the forthcoming National Population and Housing Census in Nigeria.
CAACASVI in a letter dated 22nd March, 2022, and addressed to the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Population Commission (NPoPC), Senator Ya’u Sahabi, alleged that the contract was awarded to a company without complete technical document as required by law.
The group in the letter jointly signed by its Executive Director, Olumuyiwa Onlede, and Director of Communication and Strategy, Haruna Abdussalan, said the contract was awarded without due process suggesting that it should be reviewed and revoked if necessary.
It regretted that NPoPC deviated from the original plan of awarding the contract to multiple organisations across the six geopolitical zones and awarded it to a single company.
It also pointed out that the quantity of PDA devices was singlehandedly jacked up from the initial 500 thousand pieces advertised to 800 thousand.
CAACASVI, thus warned that it is dangerous to allow a single company to execute such sensitive contract as the country will be at their mercy during the National Population and Housing Census especially when the PDA’s require specialized attention.
It, therefore, urged the Senate Committee to conduct an investigation on the contract award, and reverse the award should investigation reveal that the award process was marred with irregularity, corruption, cronyism, favoritism and nepotism and allow due process to be followed.
“This is to ensure due process, inclusivity, efficiency, flawless execution, competition, avoid favoritism, nepotism, unfair practices and corruption during the award process.
“But to our greatest dismay, the quantity of PDA device was singlehandedly jacked up from the initial 500 thousand pieces advertised to 800 thousand, while contract amount was also jacked up and awarded to a single company, thereby deviating from original committee plan,” he said.
