Posted on April 17, 2018
By Adebiyi Adedapo, Leadership
Legal Adviser to Dredging Atlantic Limited/Westmintser Dredging and Marine (DAW), a multinational company, Mr Liborous Oshoma has urged the National Assembly to withdraw $44million contract awarded to Dredging International Services Limited (DISL) by the federal government.
The company alleged that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Ministry of Transportation and the Nigeria Ports Authority, have violated the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007, in the award of the contract for remedial works at Escravos Channel. The contract includes replacement of navigational aids and minor dredging at the Delta Port, in Warri, and is worth about $44million.
Oshoma, in a petition, urged the National Assembly to prevail on the agencies, which awarded the contract, to disqualify DISL from executing the contract. According to the petition, the said contract was awarded to Dredging International Services Limited (DISL), one of lowest ranking bidders, in a process manipulated by the three government bodies.
A copy of the petition, signed by the company’s legal adviser, Mr Liborous Oshoma, alleged that the BPP ignored an official complaint made by DAW, and hurriedly concluded the administrative review of the bid process. It also alleged that NPA manipulated the process and publicly announced tender figures of DISL for the contract bid.
“How come the lowest bidder as publicly announced (DAW) had “errors” and or additional figures (increase) of N11, 709,932.84 ($38,393.23) to arrive at $44,918,741.22 as against $44,880,348.21, while the highest bidder (DISL) had “errors” and or subtracted figures (a reduction) of $136,456.95 (N41, 619,369.75) to arrive at $44,861,596.81, as against $44,998,053.73, from their announced figures,” the petition reads.
The firm also queried that the BPP failed to comply with the provisions of Section 31 (5) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, and didn’t notify it of any arithmetic corrections, nor were they invited to either adopt or defend/deny the figures.
Source: Leadership
