Prince Osuagwu

A  United States based ICT professional, Dr. Wilson Ademola, has criticised the pricing and other conditions used in awarding the INEC Direct Data Capturing, DDC machines contract to the 3 suppliers, Zinox Technologies, Haeir Electricals and Avante international, saying it was very poor.

Ademola said that INEC was unfair to the suppliers, adding that such a 35_ day bound contract should in any part of the would attract premium as the suppliers may have to procure items by paying higher prices due to scarcity of such regulated items like Finger Print scanners, Webcam and Printers.

In an interactive session with ICT journalists in Lagos, he revealed that since the global down turn, no manufacturer mass produces such products for stocking anymore due to uncertainty in the market.

He noted that Manufacturers now build to order, which means that for such an urgent order of different components requiring integration, the contractors would have to buy at the sellers’ price and take a loss.

INEC had last week contracted three suppliers,  Zinox Technologies Ltd, Haier Electrical Appliances Corp Ltd and  Avante International Technology Inc., to supply  80,000 units at $1, 771. 73 per unit; 30,000 units at $1, 699. 60 per unit; and 22,000 units at $1, 699. 60 per unit respectively. The unit cost is inclusive of all taxes and charges.

Breakdown of the contract sum in local currency shows that Zinox is to get about N21.3 billion for the supply of 80,000 units of the DDC, Haier Electrical to get N7.6 billion for the 30 units while Avante International is to supply 22,000 units at about N5.6 billion.

But Ademola said the sums were peanut considering what the suppliers may go through to deliver at agreed time and may either default or lose money.

According to him, “no company in a civilized country can deliver these units in 120 days and they will really get the customer to pay for it in exorbitant charges. INEC should have made financial provision for the very tight time frame within which the contractors are expected to deliver.

“our country must pay professionals appropriately. I have done an analysis of the market realities and if these companies don’t take time they will run into a net loss of over 15%.”

He however commended Prof Attahiru Jega for trying to be different in a country replete with unethical practices, saying that besides the poor contract pricing, the honesty of the INEC Chairman was evident in the process that produced the three contractors of the DDC Machines.

Ademola said that though most of what he knew about the companies were things he read in the internet, he was certain, they were real and a far cry from the usual fronts that made white elephants of viable projects in Nigeria.