Business

BPP Probes Road Contract Award In Edo

Published

16 years ago

January 1, 2010

The Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP, in the presidency, Abuja may have commenced investigations into the circumstance that led to the award of a multibillion naira road contract in Edo by the NDDC after it refused to grant the commission a valid due process certificate of ‘’No objection’’ in favour of Messrs Caesars Engineering and construction limited for the construction of the Obazogwe Niro-Ikumweke-Idunwebo- Abudu Road in Orihiomnwon Local Council area of Edo State, with the total sum of N2,979,175,643.06.

The BPP decision is sequel to the court order halting further construction work on the road project pending the determination of the matter before the court brought by Messrs. Madona construction limited, Benin. Investigations show that it was the firm of Meaars. Madona construction limited, Benin city, which the BPP granted the NDDC a due process certificate of ‘’No objection’’ for the award of the contract for the construction of the road in the total sum of N2,979,175,643/06, ‘’with a completion period of 18 months, being the lowest evaluated responsive bidder.’’

The BPP also advised the NDDC to ask the contractor to submit a performance bond as a precondition to the contract award, in a decision signed by Messrs. Emeka Ezeh, the Director-general of BPP and five others after sighting such documents as the advertisement for the job, the 2009 appropriation bill, the checklist for project procurement review, bidders bill of quantities, financial bid records, attendance of pre-qualification exercise by contractors, tender evaluation report and drawings.

It was gathered that Messrs. Caesars Engineering and Construction limited tendered sum for construction of the road, was found by the BPP to be wrong and the BPP corrected same bringing the total to N4.7billion.

Source said at the time the NDDC asked the BPP for a due process certificate of ‘’No objection ‘’ for the Obozogwe Niro-Ikumweke-Idunwebo-Iguobodo-Abudu Road in Orhiomnwon Local council area of Edo state, it also did so for such other roads across the state such as the 12.1km Oben-Umogun and the Ulohor/ Ogba link road and bridges.

The BPP denied the NDDC the certificate it asked for in favour of Messrs. A,C, Egbe in the total sum of N3,767, 443,243.80 since its tendered sum of N3,005,182/70 was wrongly computed, it granted the NDDC the certificate for the ward of the contract for their construction of the 122.1km Oben- UMOGUN road with a completion period of 26 months to Messrs Askay construction company limited. In the same vein, the BPP had denied the certificate NDDC asked for in favour of Messrs. Xapon limited in the total sum of N2,191,528,134.14. for the Ulohor/Ogba link road and bridges, as the corrected tendered sum based on the original scope stood at N2,259,683.88. instead it granted the NDDC the certificate in favour Messrs. Jireh Link Nigeria Limited in the total sum of N1,262,915,628.71 with an unspecified completion period for being the lowest evaluation bidders.

Ben-ose Ogbemudia, Benin City

Business

PENGASSAN Tasks Multinationals On Workers’ Salary Increase

Published

5 days ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has asked companies in the oil and gas sector to undertake urgent review of salaries of their workers in view of the prevailing harsh economic conditions in the country.

Also, the pensioners of Chevron Nigeria, under the aegis PenCoN, have lauded the President of PENGASSAN, Comrade Festus Osifo and his executive on their unrelenting efforts toward addressing pension abnormalities faced by retired workers in the oil and gas industry.

The association also appealed to the federal government to take necessary measures to check banditry and terrorist activities in parts of the country.

PENGASSAN President, Osifo who addressed journalists shortly after the National Executive Council meeting of the association in Abuja, at the weekend, said that though a lot of success has been recorded in negotiating salary reviews for its members, there are still organisations that have failed to lift their workers from the present harsh economic situation.

He said within this period, PENGASSAN has signed numerous Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) which has brought smiles to the faces of its teeming members.

“This is because we recognise that our job, literally, is how to protect the job of our members, and how to enhance their pay,” he said.

Osifo said that operators in the oil and gas sectors always go for the best qualified professionals to carry out their operations.

“So, the same way they recruit the best, we also challenge them to provide the best condition of service and provide the best remuneration.

“Yes, today, a lot of companies will have achieved successes, but there are still few that we are still discussing at their CBAs, that we are not yet there.

“We still use this opportunity to call on these companies that are still foot dragging, that are still holding back, even with the massive devaluation that has occurred in our country, that still don’t want to fix the remuneration of our members.

“We are calling on them to do the needful, because for us in PENGASSAN we will push without holding back. We will push, using everything in our arsenal, to ensure that the needful is done,” he said.

Osifo spoke of the dispute with the Dangote Refinery group, saying there are still pending issues to be resolved.

“Gentlemen of the press, during the networking session, we also looked at the issues that are plaguing some of our branches, and you know that recently, we had some challenges in Dangote Refinery and PetroChemicals Ltd.

“And within this period, since our last National Industrial Action, we have been engaging them in a lot of conversations, but the issues are not fully resolved. There are still a lot of pending issues.

“Yes, the NEC decided that, yes, let us still consummate that process by pushing those issues, by engaging in dialogue to resolve the issues, and by also engaging all our social partners and stakeholders to get the issues resolved,” he said.

Business

SEC Unveils Digital Regulatory Hub To Boost Oversight Across Financial Markets

Published

5 days ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched the Regulatory Hub, a new centralized digital platform designed to streamline collaboration, strengthen oversight, and improve transparency across Nigeria’s financial and capital market ecosystem.

The Commission disclosed this in a statement posted on its website.

According to the commission, the platform connects key regulatory and security institutions including the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), enabling them to exchange information securely and in real time.

The launch of this regulatory hub comes ahead of the implementation of new tax laws in January 2026, with agencies such as the FIRS spreading its tentacles across sector to monitor compliance.

According to the SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, the launch marks a significant step toward modernizing Nigeria’s regulatory framework through technology.

“The Regulatory Hub is a major step in our commitment to leverage technology for stronger regulatory synergy. By connecting regulators on one platform, we are building resilience, enhancing market integrity, and promoting investor confidence,” he said.

The SEC said the platform would help reduce bottlenecks in regulatory processes and facilitate faster, more informed decision-making across agencies.

Reinforcing the DG’s comments, the Executive Commissioner, Operations, Bola Ajomale, highlighted the operational benefits of the new system.

“The platform will significantly improve the timeliness and quality of regulatory decision-making. It provides a single window for regulators to share data, respond to requests, and collaborate seamlessly in safeguarding our financial and capital markets,” he said.

The commission believes the Regulatory Hub would support its broader mandate to strengthen investor protection, enhance market stability, and harmonize regulatory activities across the financial sector.

It urged stakeholders to initiate interest by emailing the Commission, adding that once registered, participants would be able to access the Hub and take advantage of its features.

Business

NAFDAC Decries Circulation Of Prohibited Food Items In markets …….Orders Vendors’ Immediate Cessation Of Dealings With Products

Published

5 days ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing circulation of banned food products across markets in the country.

The agency, in a Press Release dated 6 December 2025, warned that these items including pasta, noodles, sugar and tomato paste are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are illegal to import.

NAFDAC stated that the sale and distribution of such prohibited items violate national trade laws, compromise the integrity of Nigeria’s food control system, and pose significant public health risks, as they have not undergone the agency’s mandatory safety and quality evaluations.

Importers, market traders, and supermarket operators have therefore, been directed to immediately cease all dealings in these items and to notify their supply chain partners to halt transactions involving prohibited products.

The agency emphasized that failure to comply will attract strict enforcement measures, including seizure and destruction of goods, suspension or revocation of operational licences, and prosecution under relevant laws.

The statement said “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over the growing incidence of smuggling, sale, and distribution of regulated food products such as pasta, noodles, sugar, and tomato paste currently found in markets across the country.

“These products are expressly listed on the Federal Government’s Customs Prohibition List and are not permitted for importation”.

NAFDAC also called on other government bodies, including the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Shippers Council, and the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), to collaborate in enforcing the ban on these unsafe products.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu