Agency to question 25 people over N5bn army vehicles scandal

monjola sotubo

August 25, 2016 12:48 PM

The vehicles were supposed to be used to monitor the 2015 general elections but there is no documentation to explain or justify the purchase.

EFCC boss, Ibrahim Magu

The

The vehicles were supposed to be used to monitor the 2015 general elections but there is no documentation to explain or justify the purchase, The Nation reports.

“The Task Force has virtually completed its preliminary investigation. Very soon, we will start inviting about 25 suspects in the first batch for interrogation,” an EFCC source told The Nation.

“On Wednesday, the EFCC chairman mandated the Task Force ‘not to spare anybody implicated in the procurement scandal in the Nigerian Army. Magu said there should be ‘no sacred cows’ and we are sticking to that.

“In the wake of preparations for the 2015 general elections, the ONSA released N5,000,000,000.00 to Nigerian Army on 16 March 2015 to meet its requirements for the exercise.

“The Committee established that out of the amount, Nigerian Army procured 155 units of Toyota Hilux and 50 units of Isuzu trucks, a procurement that was carried out in total disregard of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

“There were no procurement documents, such as award letters, contract agreements, technical assessment reports, delivery notes and receipt vouchers to support the acquisition. Consequently, the unit cost of the vehicles and tax payable could not be ascertained.

“Moreover, the procurement was carried out by Department of Training and Operations instead of the Department of Army Logistics. The distribution of the vehicles showed that 15 were allocated to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) without specifying the purpose.

“Sadly, the Department of Army Logistics became aware of the quantity and types of vehicles on 29 October 2015, about seven months after they were procured, thereby jeopardising accountability. The Committee is of the view that the procurement process was fraudulent,” the source added.

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monjola sotubo