Reps halt 17m Euro aviation contract
By Tordue Salem
ABUJA—The House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement has directed the Ministry of Aviation to suspend work on the 17 million Euros contract for the installation of 27 units of Aeronautical Information System, AIS, in all the airports across the country.
The committee has alleged poor handling of the contract by the Ministry of Aviation, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, and the Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP.
The halt order was given by Chairman, House Committee on Public Procurement, Rep. Yusuf Tuggar (PDP/Gamawa/Bauchi) at an interactive session with the contractors who were part of the bid process for the contract awarded by the Ministry of Aviation, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, as well as the Bureau for Public Procurement.
The House Committee, subsequently summoned the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze and the Director General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, to come and answer to an allegation by Mr. George Eder of Avsatel GMBH, that he was wrongly shut out of the deal.
“We state here that the Minister of Aviation and the Director-General of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA should suspend all actions on the contract until they appear before us to clarify the issues being raised by the contractor.
If they fail to appear before us as they did today without any excuse whatsoever, I can assure you that further actions would be taken against themâ€, the chairman said.
Earlier, the Managing Director of Avsatel GMBH, Mr. George Eder had complained that while his company bidded 9,560,780.00 Euros and N230 million for local supplies, Messrs Mocom/Skynet bided 17,909,540 Euros with zero local supply services and were awarded the contract despite the high amount bided.
According to him, the petition was premised on the fact that the Company participated in the tender AIS Automation in Nigeria and turned in its bid on February 19, 2007 adding however, that to comply with the extant rules and regulations, the tender was opened same day.
According to him, despite keeping to the rules of the game, his Company was dropped, as Macom/Skynet in the Ministry in connivance with NAMA got the deal without consulting his Company.
But the Bureau for Public Procurement explained that due process was followed in the award of the contract to Messrs Mocom/Skynet
The spokesman of BPP, Engr. Nebolisa Odizie told the Committee that the technical and financial evaluation as submitted by Avsatel was inadequate and that the Due process office followed the advice given to it by their consultant in the award of the contract to Messrs MOCM/Skynet.
