Oscarline Onwuemenyi
27 January 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has described as fictitious and sensational, a media report suggesting that he is allegedly involved in a N166 billion contract mess.
According to him, the report fits perfectly into an emerging pattern by the said media house to create fiction, avoid obvious facts and sensationalise headlines in order to draw attention and “sell its struggling platform.”
He noted that the media house had before now, published what he termed a “similarly fabricated report”, accusing the government of plotting to break Nigerian law in award of $800 million contract.”
The minister, in a statement by Hakeem Bello, his special adviser on communications, explained that the report established the fact that there was an evaluation committee made up of a chairman and members who are ranking professionals in their own right.
He added that even by its own admission, the report that went to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) was the work of the evaluation committee which does not have the Hon. Minister as member.
“Except the publication was insinuating that the Committee colluded to perpetrate fraud for itself and the Ministry, which is not the case, then going to town about “Fashola” being in a “contract mess” leaves much to be desired.”
Bello noted that the media outfit contradicted itself by alleging a contract mess and yet admitted that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing followed Due Process by advertising projects to be awarded and sending the list of selected contractors to the Bureau of Public Procurement.
“If the Ministry does what is expected of it by law and the institution of Government that it went to do its job, in what way does it amount to a mess”, he queried.
