The Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority says it has expended the sum of N57.55 million on hand pump borehole under the Zonal Intervention Project (ZIP)
In a Freedom of Information (FOI) response to Tracka, Rima Basin claimed to have expended the sum of N57, 557,843.32 for the construction of hand pump boreholes in Zamfara West Senatorial Zone.
A contract that was awarded to Arabs and Partners Limited.
This is even as Rima Basin disclosed that 62.01% fund has been released while only 25% of work has been achieved.
Worse still, the Sokoto Rima Basin in its FOI request response could not disclose locations the N57, 557,843.32 boreholes were cited.
It is not, however, clear how the Development Agency arrived at that amount as it did not show any evidence pointing out how the procurement process was followed leading to the award of the contract and selection of a contractor.
Experts who spoke to MAWA Foundation say Rima Basin may have engaged in sharp practices that appear to be a huge corruption.
MAWA Foundation had on Saturday published how Rima Basin claimed to have spent N159, 122,817.69 on the construction of a single borehole.
Rima Basin is not an exception, often, government officials in Nigeria, collude to inflate contract sums and collect kickbacks, an action that has institutionalized corruption in Nigeria.
Please note: Picture not real, used for an illustration.