N53 million Gombe lawmaker three classrooms constituency project

Mr. Danjuma Goje, a federal lawmaker from Gombe State in what appears contract inflation that has helped undermine development in Nigeria has allegedly constructed a three classrooms block for N53 million as his constituency project.

The lawmaker had nominated the construction of three classroom blocks in Kwadom Central Primary School at Gombe Central Senatorial District of Gombe State as his Zonal Intervention Project (constituency project).

The deal that was struck together with Border Community Development Agency, was awarded to Shanuma Nigeria Limited as a contractor to build the classrooms blocks.

Tracka, a public accountability organization that visited the community to inspect the project, says although the project has been completed, it is yet to be put into use as all the classrooms are locked up. The organization, however, says another three classrooms construction is ongoing at Dubai quarters primary school Garko, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.

It is not however clear, the kind of procurement process and market survey, that was carried out by Border Community Development Agency and Mr. Goje, leading to the selection of Shanuma Nigeria Limited and the award of a contract for construction of three classrooms blocks for such huge amount.

This is even as civil engineers who spoke to MAWA Foundation, say that amount is too high for just three classrooms blocks.

Mr. Monday Agada, a civil engineer, who claims to have built many schools in North Central Nigeria, told MAWA that N10 million is enough to build and equip three classrooms blocks in northern Nigeria.

“The annoying thing is that these people will inflate contract figures and still use fake materials and quack engineers to carry out the construction,” Mr. Agagda told MAWA Foundation.

The federal government had since 2021 budgeted the sum of N53 million and has released monies for the project.

Our experience in public accountability advocacy has shown that no place has monies been stolen from the Nigerian state like the procurement process for project executions.

Stealing monies using the procurement process has continued to be the practice in Nigeria, despite the existence of Public Procurement Act and Fiscal Responsibility Act that criminalize fraud in the procurement process in Nigeria.

MAWA Foundation could not immediately reach out to Mr. Goje for an official response.

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