The Federal College of Horticulture has allegedly abandoned N42 million renovation of two classrooms blocks in Wukari community of Taraba State.
Under the deal, Nigerian Government 2022 approved N42 million for the renovation of two classrooms blocks at Government Day Secondary School Wukari in Taraba state.
The deal was struck by Federal College of Horticulture using Kangiwa Global Investment as a contractor.
Tracka officials who were at the project site to inspect the level of work done, say it has since been abandoned.
Mr. Salmanu Ibrahim who spoke to MAWA-Foundation regarding the project said contractor handling it left the site after wooden roofing.
“The moment wooden roofing was completed the contractor disappeared and never returned, if he does not come back, all work done will be a waste”, Ibrahim told MAWA
This is even as Ibrahim disclosed that many children in the community depend on the school for their secondary education while appealing to the agency handling the project to complete it to allow for decent and quality learning.
Check on Kangiwa Global Investment shows the company was registered on the 29th day of August 2005 while its status remains invalid, an indication that it does not file an annual return as obligated by the law, a stand that was confirmed in our conversation with the CAC official.
“Inactive status shows a company does not file an annual return, and this is a breach of law that comes with sanctions,” the CAC official told MAWA via a telephone conversation.
Under Nigerian law, all companies registered and operating in Nigeria are obligated to file annual returns to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
And, part of the requirements for a contract to be awarded to a company is tax clearance and an annual return to the CAC.
Worse still, despite the Kangiwa Global Investment failure in this obligation, the Federal Horticulture College ignored the standard process and awarded N42 million contract to her, an action that seems a violation of procurement rules.
Mr. Ephraim Agim, a civil engineer who spoke to MAWA and claims to have built schools across communities in North-Central Nigeria, says building three classrooms block averages N10 million. And wondered why the government will approve N42 million for the project.
Kangiwa Global Investment is not the only offender, across communities in Nigeria there are many abandoned projects. And, in many of the projects, money has been paid to the contractors. Nigeria’s experience has shown that nowhere has public resources been stolen like procurement fraud. Government officials, hide under the procurement process to steal money in connivance with contractors.
MAWA Foundation could not immediately reach out to Kangiwa Global Investment for an official response