CSO raises alarm over contract racketeering in UBEC

A group, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) has alleged of the existence of contract racketeers at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

The National Coordinator of the group, Prince Danesi Momoh addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja claimed that there exist a well organised cartel at UBEC that use contracts and promises of contracts to fleece unsuspecting business men and women.

The group claimed that the procurement processes at UBEC is allegedly shrouded in complete secrecy against extant laws on transparency in procurement.

The group claimed that findings indicates that indeed, contracts are shared among interests in the commission and that those contracts are later sold to those who have the actual capacity to execute them adding whatever is done in the name of bidding is deceit.

Continuing, they claimed: “That the contracts are highly inflated such that the original awardee; illegal money lenders within the commission; and buyers of the contracts are able to make huge profits in one contract chain.

“That there is a system of contract scam in which unsuspecting contractors are made to obtain loans with very high interests from procurement officers with a promise to award some contracts to them, which in some cases, are never awarded.

“That some procurement officers are materials suppliers who decide the quality and price, because failure to patronise them will lead to the disqualification of the contractor’s job.

The group explained that they had to show particular interest in this matter because of the direct nexus between the sabotage of our national aspirations in access to quality education and unemployment, poverty and misery.