A Nigerian agency, the National Human Rights Commission, with a core mandate to be a foremost Human Rights Institution that entrenches a culture of respect for human rights, promoting accountability and respect for rule of law, has since refused to respond to Freedom of Information(FOI) request over N119.25 million Contract.
This is even as the agency has an obligation under the law to respond to the FOI within a seven days period.
MAWA Foundation earlier reported how the agency, in what appears contract inflation allegedly paid the sum of N119.25 million for ICT Centre.
The commission that was established to promote, protect, and enforce human rights, has since joined other Agencies in contract awards and execution, a development that is been executed using Zonal Intervention Projects as a cover.
And this is done by the Commission helping the lawmakers to implement their Zonal Intervention Project, popularly known as “Constituency Projects”.
In the deal that was struck under the Federal Ministry of Justice, the National Human Rights Commission paid the sum of N119, 255,833.14 for the construction of ICT Centres in the Kosefe Federal Constituency of Lagos State.
The contract that was awarded to Dorcella Company Limited got payments that were made in tranches.
Data from www.govspend.ng a Budgit platform that publishes federal government spending, shows that the Commission on 23, December 2020 paid the sum of N81, 362,738.13 to Dorcella Company Limited and on 31 March 2021 paid another N37, 893,095.01 to the company as the contract fees.
This is even as the Commission did not disclose the exact location it sited the ICT Centre in Kosefe Federal Constituency.
Not sure how the Commission conducted its procurement process leading to the award of the contract, and other suspected malpractices, the MAWA Foundation on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, using the Freedom of Information Act, wrote to the Commission, asking for the contract award letter, procurement process and payments made in respect to the contract.
A request the commission is yet to answer. 