By Ifeanyi Okolie and Samuel Peters

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), may soon commence investigations into allegations of contract inflation leveled against some top officials of the National Planning Commission (NPC) by some concerned workers of the Commission.  The concerned workers attached to the procurement section alleged that the contract inflation was to the tune of over   N105 Million and in total disregard to contract award   procedures.

A source  from  the procurement section of the Commission who spoke with reporters in Abuja under the guise of anonymity had expressed dismay on how some top officials of the commission, in flagrant disregard to due process and laid_down procedure, allegedly edged out a more competent bidder and awarded the contract to an inexperienced contractor at N198, 300,000 when the more experienced firm bid N93Million.

The source expressed dismay that despite the presence of bodies like the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the government’s avowed stance to fight corruption, such a scam could be allowed to take place.

Recalling how the contract was awarded to the inexperienced contractor (name withheld), the  source  said that he began to suspect foul play when one of the top officers of the committee,   without consultation, suddenly declared five bidders non-responsive on the day of the  bid opening.

According to the source, It was at this stage that the other two firms which were considered eligible had their technical and financial bids evaluated. “Of the two, one came out  more impressive but  in a bid to deny that company the contract,   the firm and the inexperienced contractor were invited for a power point presentation before the procurement committee on August 19, 2010”.

At the presentation, the firm still emerged tops but curiously, the source said, an order came from the  ‘above’, in the Commission awarding the contract to the inexperienced contractor which records indicate that it had not executed a similar job in the past.

The source named the firms that participated in the bid process as:  Heroes Furniture limited, Annai limited, Fritz Communications limited, Cholid Global Services Limited, Ebelon Nigeria Limited, Marena limited and  Elsa Limited.

Based on this revelations, Crime Alert gathered that some of the aggrieved workers of the commission had already completed plans to forward a strongly- worded petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the development.  On it’s part, detectives at the EFCC are said to have been busy compiling reports on the matter with a view to swinging into action when the need arises.