The Federal Ministry of Power has been caught in paying the sum of N81.4 million to a contractor as a fee for the construction of a road in Kogi state that never existed.
Under the deal, the Federal Ministry of Power paid the sum of N81.4 million to Tec Engineering Company Nig Limited as a fee for the construction of Alloma Ofabo-Akpanya Road in Kogi State. Road construction that never existed.
The fake road construction was supervised by the Federal Ministry of Power headquarters. The money totaling N81,428,571.42 was paid to the contractor in December 2019, a document by MAWA Foundation shows.
Worse still, local sources, told MAWA foundation that Ofabo-Akpanya Road under the Igalamela Local Government Area of Kogi State has never been constructed since the world began.
They added that the only road that passes through the communities in the area was created by the early settlers and has since remained the same to this moment.
Mr. Abuh who preferred his first name mentioned told MAWA that in the history of human existence, Ofabo-Akpanya Road has never been constructed and wondered why a government ministry would pay the sum of N81.4 million to a contractor as a fee for road construction that did not happen.
Another local, Mr. Attah, while speaking to MAWA, said the Power Ministry is a joke for having paid such an amount to a contractor for road construction that never existed.
“Sometimes I feel like crying over the kind of corruption that happens in this part of the world, how does one explain that a government ministry that should know better will pay over N81 million for a contract that never existed, using our community as a cover,” Attah told MAWA.
However, about six community residents told MAWA that the only road that was constructed in Alloma is a 10 kilometres road that was done by the Late Mr. Abubakar Audu, the former Kogi Governor over 20 years ago. And, the road has since become deplorable calling for total reconstruction.
Worse still, the Ministry of Power had paid out the sum of N81. Million for road construction that never existed.
MAWA Foundation could not immediately reach out to the power ministry for an official response.