TVC E, NEWS – Nigeria’s House of Representatives’ ad hoc committee probing the award of railway contracts between 2010 and 2014 has queried the management of Nigeria Railway Corporation for shutting out qualified construction firms from bidding for the modernization of railway projects.
The panel has also summoned the Bureau of Public Procurement Bureau to explain the rationale behind the jerking up a railway contract from five point six billion naira to ten point eight billion naira.
National Assembly Correspondent, Joke Adisa reports that after weeks of investigating government officials, it’s the turn of the companies which participated in railway contracts to appear before the probe panel.
One after the other, the organizations unfolded the level of their involvement in the projects.
One of the organizations was awarded a contract totaling #5.6billion to design, supply, install, test and commission modern signalling solutions for the Eastern line of Nigeria Railway Network, but its representatives, Biliaminu tells the committee of an addendum to the said contract which saw it rise to ten point eight billion naira.
Besides, Biliaminu could not give the legislators the cost of the Western Line contract, forcing the panel to summon the company’s Chief Executive officer.
In all, the lawmakers were far from convinced about the sincerity of purpose of the Nigeria Railway Corporation and all other parties involved in the transaction.
Also before the committee was CRCC, a company owned by the Chinese government.
At a question and answer session, the company’s representative admitted the organization and another company owned by the Chinese government, CCECC bidded and won the eight point three billion dollar Lagos-Kano railway modernization project
All companies involved in the railway projects are to submit to the committee, their registration details with the Corporate Affairs Commission as well as their tax certificates.
