The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), an intervention agency that was established to provide additional support to all levels of public tertiary institutions in Nigeria has built a static website for N26.268 million.
The contract that was awarded to Jonkech Services Ltd was initiated in 2020, information from Budeshi Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) platform that shows government procurement data shows.
This is even as (TETFund) had earlier budgeted N190 million for the website, but got N26.268 million allocation from the federal government.
Worse still, checks by MAWA-Foundation show Jonkech Services Ltd that was given the contract for a website design, specializes in general supplies with particular focus in the supply of office furniture/consumables, electrical (design, fittings, sales, and maintenance. And, has nothing to do with ICT, and yet it got a website development contract from (TETFund).
When MAWA Foundation reached out to Jonkech Services Ltd via this telephone number, 08033360775 it got online, its official denied having knowledge of such contract while pointing out that the contract they had with (TETFund) is to fix a school and not a website.
“Which website are they talking about, they don’t know what they are saying, we did not have any contract with them concerning a website development,” the official told MAWA in a telephone conversation.
This is even as ICT experts told MAWA explained that (TETFund) website cannot cost beyond N2 million and that includes hosting and design.
The denial of Jonkech Services Ltd about the contract shows, (TETFund) may have used their name to divert millions using website procurement jobs as a cover without their knowledge.
(TETFund) is not the only offender, Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria, often carry out procurement fraud as a way of stealing public funds.
Procurement fraud is entrenched in Nigeria to the extent that World Bank State Assessment Report, shows that every N100 allocated for public project and service delivery, N60 is lost to procurement fraud.
MAWA – Foundation could not immediately speak to (TETFund) for an official response as a contact phone number published on its website (+234) 8008383863 did not connect in all repeated dials made.