By  Dauda Aliyu Hanga

THERE have been many wild reactions and even protests, following the Senate’s subtle indictment of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawan, for corruption and misapplication of Presidential Initiative for North East (PINE) funds. I initially also joined the frenzy, and vowed to join a street protest to force the Federal Government to take decisive action against those involved in the diversion of funds meant for the IDPs.
Having spent several years in both public service and civil society, and participated in almost all protests and peaceful demonstrations to champion the cause of the common man, my conscience is always the guiding light of my actions. Being an active member of Citizens Action to Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN), I decided to join other NGOs for a fact-finding mission in the North East.
Documents at our disposal indicate that the contract was clearly stated as: “Award of Contract For The Removal of Inversive (invasive) plants along River Channels & 115 Hectares of Simplified Village Irrigation Operation In Yobe State”.
The documents show that the contract was not awarded to Rholavision, the company linked to the SGF. It was awarded to Josmon Technologies Limited with address at 9, Moputo Street, 3RD Floor, Fames-Jal Plaza, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. The letter of award of the contract with the title stated above, which was signed by Aminu Ahmed, (Head of Procurement PINE) states: “I wish to refer to your quotation on the above subject and convey approval for the award of contract  for the Removal of Inversive (sic) Plant Species along River channels and 115 Hectares of Simplified village Irrigation  Operation in Yobe State to your company at the total cost of  Two Hundred  and Seventy-Two Million, Five Hundred and Twenty –Four Thousand ,Three Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira, Two Kobo (N272,524,356.02) only, inclusive of 5% VAT with a completion Period of Three (3) weeks.”
We reliably gathered that a major director in the company above has a twin brother who is working as a personal assistant to one of the Senators. We could not ascertain if the Senator has any direct interest in the firm or contract. Again, we found out from the document from PINE that Rholavision was not the main contractor that got the job. Rholavision was engaged only as a consultant even though the Senate Committee created the impression that the company of the SGF executed the contract.
The letter from PINE was titled: “Award of Contract For The Engagement of MSSRS Rholavision Engineering Limited As A Consultant” and reads: “ I wish to convey to you the approval  for  award of contract to you as a Consultant on Removal of Invasive Plant Specie along River Channels and 115 Hectares of Simplified Village Irrigation Operation in Yobe State at the cost of Seven Million, Nine Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Ninety-Six kobo (7,009,516.96) only, inclusive of all taxes, for the period of six (6) Weeks…” The letter was also signed by Aminu Ahmed, (Head of Procurement, PINE).
From the foregoing, we were able to verify even from the documents that the contract in question has nothing to do with grass cutting at any IDP camp, but it was to clear invasive plants in River Channels which will aid the rehabilitation of IDPs by enabling easy flow of water through the channels to help fishing activities, enable proper irrigation for farming activities and eliminate flooding of the communities during rainy season, when they return home from the camps after being displaced by Boko Haram insurgency.
During the course of our investigations with PINE, we were made to understand that Rholavision Engineering Nigeria Limited was co-opted into the project as a consultant based on its past successful work in the North East. We were provided verifiable evidence showing that the company had been engaged in the clearing of grass from the Hadejia/Jamaare River Basin in 2013, a contract it executed for the African Development Bank (ADB). Our findings indicate that corruption, which usually trails federal contracts channeled to states, is at the heart of this crisis. We found out that some officials of one of the states in the region done not want PINE contracts awarded to independent companies, but rather that the funds from PINE should be allocated to their state through them directly.
We understand this is why one of the state government officials specifically told the Senate Committee that PINE had not done anything in the state despite our on the spot assessment which shows clear evidence of clearing/evacuationof invasive plant species & irrigation operation on 115 Hectares of land. We have video and picture evidenceof this. Facts available to us show that Engr. Babachir Lawal actually resigned from Rholavision Engineering and all other companies he had shareholdings in,
Our goal was to find out if, indeed, any work had been done at all. Remember that the work in question is the intervention by PINE within the Hadeja-Nguru wetlands, spanning an area of 3,500sqkm, made up of 12 Local Governments from 3 states (Yobe, Jigawa and Bauchi).
The intervention work involves manual channel removal of aquatic weeds (typha & other), simplified irrigation scheme, provision of motorized and manual boats, and construction of water control gates.
CATBAN, alongside the local NGOs, went to the Likori Bridge in Marma Channel on the Hadejia River. We found the first project signpost, which consists of the contractors and consultants’ details. In order to see for ourselves the level of improvement as a result of the intervention work, we took a boat down the water canals that were previously overgrown with thypa grass. We paddled towards Burwa Fadama under Kabak community which subsequently led down Nguru Lake. It was at that point we gathered that at that part of Marma channel, some communities were wiped out. Examples of such communities are Kakayau village, Matara Gari Gana, Duwa Kaku.
CATBAN can assert with authority that the contract was, indeed, carried out. The claims that it was meant to clear grass in IDP camp or that nothing has been done are nothing but unfortunate lies.
That the company which executed the project gave kickback to the SGF to the tune of N195million is also false, because in the first instance, the contract was executed and the scope of the job entailed not only the clearing of the invasive plants but also the sinking of 115 boreholes, laying of pipes across 155 hectares for irrigation, provision of aquatic pumps and supply of boats. If they gave N195 million as kickback from a contract of N240 million, what then did they execute the project with?
It simply would mean the project was given to them as a free source to make money, which contradicts the fact that the projects were genuinely executed.

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Comrade Hanga is Director of Mobilisation at
CATBAN.