In this investigative report, NATIONAL RECORD tracks how a rural electrification project in Benue State, which was started about 26 years ago, became a conduit through which three shady companies served as a channel through which over N100 million was siphoned between 2018 and 2022. The project remains uncompleted but has been commissioned, leaving the benefitting communities in darkness and with the impression that they have been short-changed. AMOS AAR reports…
The inhabitants of Ojigo and Olaidu communities in Edumoga District, Okpokwu LGA of Benue State, are furious that months after the official commissioning of a rural electrification project, their great expectation of electric power supply to terminate what had been an enduring darkness out of their communities turned out to be a mere dream.
There is a profound mix of collective anger, sorrow, and frustration among the people, especially in Ojigo, where there also exists passionate feelings of physical robbery, against the background of the dashed hope built on a truncated electricity project that had kicked off over two decades before the current one.
The truncated project, which was first initiated in 1997 by the then local government chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Idoko, through direct labor, was abruptly aborted in 1998 following the death of Gen. Sani Abacha, the then Head of State and the crash of his (Abacha’s) transition to civil rule. Hope was however rejuvenated when the federal government under its rural electrification scheme in 2018, resolved to restart and complete the project.
Investigations by National Record reveal that the electrification project for the two communities had been turned into a money-making venture by vested interests.
Our findings indicate that between 2018 and 2022, the contract for this electrification project has been re-awarded three times to three different companies, yet it has remained uncompleted even when it is believed that full contract sums have been collected by the respective companies.
The three companies at the center of the saga include Lapideo Multi-services Limited, E&E Multi Services & Investment Nigeria Limited, and Sprinters Tech Company Limited. These companies have between themselves collected the total contract sum of one hundred and twenty-four million, one hundred and five thousand, one hundred and twenty-eight-naira, 38 kobo (N124,105128.38).
Although full details of funds disbursed to the contractors are still shrouded in secrecy, as the companies seemed to have disappeared, there is a strong perception within the communities that the full contract sums have been collected by the three contractors.
The only sign of disbursement made is contained in correspondences exchanged between the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA) and the lawyer/legal adviser of the benefitting communities of Olaidu and Ojigo.
This reporter gathered that funds for the electrification project were at a point channeled through LBRBDA, a federal government agency, to one of the contractors, Lapideo Multi-services Limited. This payment said to be a mobilization fee, was mentioned in a letter from LBRBDA while responding to a letter from the lawyer/legal adviser to the communities complaining that the project had been abandoned and that the contractor was unknown.
‘Unknown Contractor‘
The communities’ lawyer/legal adviser had alleged in his letter that the federal government’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) had paid the contract sum of seventy-nine million, one hundred and five thousand, one hundred and twenty-eight-naira, thirty-eight kobo (N79,105,128,38) through LBRBDA to Lapideo Multi-services Limited, although the letter did not indicate the date of the payment.
The letter, dated May 27, 2020, entitled “Complaint of None [sic] Execution of Olaidu & Ojigo Rural Electrification, Captioned in Lower Benue RBDA (2018) Appropriated Project). Approved 2018 With Code No. ERGP 445002605, Serial No. 113, in the Sum of N50,000.000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) and Awarded to Unknown Contractor Who Failed to Mobilize to Site Up Till Date,” and signed by P. I. Abah, Esq., reads:
“We act as Solicitors to Olaidu & Ojigo Edumoga Community of Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State (herein called, “Our Clients”) on whose behalf and firm instructions, we write you on the above subject matter.
“It is our clients’ brief that sometime in 2018, the National Assembly captioned [sic] their rural electrification project in that year’s national budget, monitor [sic] by your good office, and awarded to the unknown contractor.
“It’s also the fact as presented by our clients that since the contract was awarded to the unknown contractor, the contractor seized [sic] to execute the contract up till date since 2018 and both communities have been living and suffering in darkness.
“To our clients’ greatest dismay and deepest consternation, was when some people came in June 2019 to the communities, telling both the communities to clear all the trees from Ogodumu to Ojigo which they did, and also built a block stand where transformers could be kept. Since the completion of both assignments by the communities, our clients have not heard anything nor know the contractor handling the project for follow-up.
“Given this, we humbly implore you, sir, to use your esteemed office to investigate and publish the name of the contractor handling the Olaidu and Ojigo rural electrification project as captioned [sic] in the 2018 Budget, within seven days (7) of receipt of this letter, failure which will leave us with no other option but to write to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or use apparatus of the law to get dividends of Democracy acre [sic] to the communities”.
LBRBDA, in its response to this letter, signed by J. Aondohemba Udu, Esq., Director (Legal)/Company Secretary for the Managing Director, entitled: “Re: Complaint of None [sic] Execution of Olaidu/Ojigo Rural Electrification Project,” offered very useful information by not only naming the contractor described by P. I. Abah Esq. in his letter as ‘unknown contractor’, but also stating the amount released to the contractor as mobilization fee.
LBRBDA’s letter reads: “I have been directed to refer to your letter on the above subject matter dated 27th May 2020, the Authority’s reply thereto dated 9th June 2020, your subsequent letter of 27th July 2020 and to inform you that the contract for the Electrification of Olaidu/Ojigo Community was awarded to Lapideo Multi-services Limited in the contract sum of N79,105,128,38 (Seventy Nine Million, One Hundred And Five Thousand, One Hundred And Twenty-Eight Naira, Thirty-Eight Kobo) only.
“You may further wish to note that following the award of the contract and having fulfilled the prescribed requirements, the contractor’s application for mobilization fee amounting to 15% of the contract sum was honored by the payment of the sum of N11, 865, 769. 26 (Eleven Million, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand, Seven Hundred and Sixty-Nine Naira, Twenty-Six Kobo) only, inclusive of taxes of applicable deductions.
“As admitted in your letters, the contractors mobilized to the site and commenced the execution of works which includes [sic] site clearing, mounting of the high tension poles required for the project (not three poles) and construction of two transformer stands. In their response to the Authority’s request for comments on your letter, they explained that the next phase of the work plan is the purchase and installation of electrical items that are vulnerable to pilferage and vandalization which may jeopardize the project.
“While the concerns were noted, the contractor was directed to proceed and supply the items, meanwhile, a meeting would be organized between the Authority, and your clients (the communities), where concrete arrangements would be made for safe keeping of supplied items, i.e., whether it would be in the Authority’s stores or with the communities, if assurances may be given concerning security. Having commenced the execution of the Project, therefore, the status of the project is that it is ongoing and not abandoned. With the ease of movement, the Authority would take steps to verify the performance or execution of the Project.
“You may further wish to note that No sum of N20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) was specifically released to the Authority for the Olaidu/Ojigo project and the allegation that the Managing Director “shared the remaining N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) only among himself, his staff and his friends” is not only false but is also actionable defamation. We trust that you may be aware that the same EFCC to whom you threatened to report this matter, have obtained conviction in cases where the informants made false allegations.
“In addition to the above, it is surprising that being fully aware that only a fraction of funds meant for the project was released and paid to the contractor, your demand for the completion of the project within 14 days is not only spurious but it is also made mala fide, in bad taste, superfluous, manifestly absurd and unattainable.
“Note also that this project is not one of the Authority’s core projects and the amounts so far paid to the contractor may only take the project to 15% completion or thereabouts.
“Rather than making wild false allegations, it may be more useful and advisable for the community to invest their energy to interact with their current representatives at the National Assembly to possibly take over and provide for the project as one of their constituency projects.”
When National Record contacted LBRBDA to provide relevant documents containing detailed information about the contract, it asked this reporter to apply in writing.
The written request was therefore submitted on August 11, 2023, with a series of follow-ups until October 9, 2023, to obtain the documents but LBRBDA failed to honor the request as of press time.
The documents requested might have among other things clarified whether the funds released by the federal government through LBRBDA were insufficient to complete the project or if the Authority was not responsible for sponsoring the contract as insinuated in their response when it clearly stated that “…this project is not one of the Authority’s core projects and the amounts so far paid to the contractor may only take the project to 15% completion or thereabouts. Rather than making wild false allegations, it may be more useful and advisable for the community to invest their energy to interact with their current representatives at the National Assembly to possibly take over and provide for the project as one of their constituency projects.”
Contractors Inactive on CAC
Our findings indicate that subsequently and for unknown reasons, Lapideo Multi-services Limited ceased to be the contractor while two other contractors, E&E Multi Services & Investment Nigeria Limited and F. Sprinters Tech. Company Limited, took over the execution of the projects one after the other.
E&E Multi Services & Investment Nigeria Limited was said to have collected the sum of thirty million naira (N30,000,000.00) under the National Biotechnology Development Agency, F. Sprinters Tech. Company Limited was allegedly paid the sum of fifteen million naira (15,000,000.00) under the Rural Electrification Agency.
Efforts made to locate the three companies’ physical offices, either in Benue or the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja did not yield results after National Record searched the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC’s) archives.
While the companies were registered, it was discovered that they were no longer active. In addition to this, company details provided by the contractors were mostly not valid. While the phone number of Mohammed Yahaya Abubakar, a director in Lapideo Multi-services Limited was incomplete with only ten digits, that of Zainab Agada, a director in F. Sprinters Tech Company was said to be on call forwarding for more than a week and as at press time.
The only director, Ramat Ribadu of Lapideo Multi-Services Limited, whose call went through kept mute for a while after this reporter had asked her about details of the electricity project. When she eventually spoke, she promised to consult her company and revert to the reporter after she had adequately been briefed. But Ribadu neither called back nor picked up this reporter’s calls nor responded to subsequent messages sent to her via WhatsApp and Gmail.
When National Record made efforts to speak with Senator Abba Moro, who represents Benue South at the Senate since 2019, and also because he is said to be the ‘facilitator’ of the electrification project as indicated in one of the project’s signposts, one of his aides inadvertently revealed that Ramat Ribadu had already informed the senator about National Record’s inquiry for details of the contract.
Protest against the commissioning of an uncompleted project
According to the President of Ojigo Central Development Community (OCDC), Mr Justice Christopher Obochi, the contractors were used to siphon funds. Mr Obochi specifically mentioned Senator Moro who fronted the companies. “Most of those companies are being used by Senator Moro to divert funds,” Obochi alleged.
According to Obochi, rather than pressure the contractors to go back to the site to complete the project, Senator Moro instead went ahead in early 2023 to commission the project which Obochi insisted on describing as an ‘abandoned project’. He said when OCDC got wind of the planned commissioning, it quickly wrote a letter to Senator Moro pleading with him not to do so on the ground that the project had only been executed halfway.
In the letter, dated March 11, 2023, and signed by Obochi and Ekoja Boniface as National President and National Secretary respectively, entitled: “Commissioning of Ojigo/Olaidu Electrification Project,” OCDC expressed, among other things, immense shock on hearing of the news of the commissioning and noted its disapproval of the ceremony. It also appealed to the senator to suspend the commissioning and instead ensure that the project was fully completed according to specification before any commissioning ceremony.
The letter reads: “Sequel to the emergency EXCO meetingThe letter reads: “Sequel to the emergency EXCO meeting of the Ojigo Central Development Community (home and abroad) held on the 10th March 2023 on the above subject matter, we the people of Ojigo after wide consultation hereby write to register our disapproval of the planned commissioning scheduled to take place in Ojigo on Monday 13th March 2023.
“We received this news of the commissioning with immense shock because the contract hasn’t been executed as awarded. As it is today, the last pole-bearing light stopped at Ikpoke, leaving half of the community uncovered. If you commission the project today, what will happen to the remaining parts of Ojigo which are in the majority? From the last pole to the river and across the bridge to Ogbee up to the last settlement, leading to Ojapo. Other areas like Ikpede to Ipepe around the Otta axis and Onyonkpo street leading to Okpaepu. Of all the above places mentioned, with their numerous dwellers, what would be their fate sir?
“On the heels of the planned commissioning, fillers from the community already indicate that your going ahead will further spite the people against themselves, cause division, disaffection, and acrimony in Ojigo as major parts of the village are [sic] yet to be covered.
“We therefore urge you, sir, to put the commissioning on hold and among other things: –
“Call the contractors to resume sites [sic] for the completion of the project.
“Direct them to make public the contract documents showing the distance of coverage as in the number of kilometers as awarded etc.
“To ensure that the contract is convincingly executed before commissioning as doing so will rob us of the opportunity of enjoying government amenities (electricity).
“While we appreciate your good gestures and efforts towards the electrification project in Olaidu and Ojigo communities in Edumoga, Okpokwu LGA of Benue, be assured of our warm regards please.”
But despite the appeal, Senator Moro went ahead and commissioned the project.
Senator Moro refuses to speak
Every effort made at this stage to speak to Senator Moro failed. He was first contacted via phone call, SMS, and WhatsApp chat on September 16, 2023, but he did not respond. While his aides were not willing to speak and be quoted on the matter, they assured him that the matter would be brought to his attention. When no response was forthcoming from the aides, this reporter made every effort through calls to his mobile numbers obtained from his political associates. At some point, the calls were not going through, but when they went through, Senator Moro did not pick up. Thereafter, inquiry texts and WhatsApp messages that were sent to him were not responded to until late September, precisely on the 27th, when this reporter was turning in his report.
In his response on September 27 to our enquiry, the senator however did not address the issues for which the reporter sought clarifications. Instead, he said: “You’re are [sic] asking to clarify issues that you have made conclusions about. You have already claimed that I commissioned an abandoned electricity project and further claimed to have been to Olaidu meaning that the villagers trooped out on the day and I do not know when there’s electric light. Of the 200m Nigerians, how many have electricity provided by the government? Why do you think that I am the one to answer your jaundiced questions?
“Whatever your motives are carry them to your imaginary so many contractors [sic] and the agencies to answer. Am I the wrong person to ask those questions?”
Commissioning ceremony powered by a generator
Obochi told National Record that during the commissioning ceremony, rather than use power transmitted through the power line to the transformer mounted in Ojigo, it was instead a generator that was secretly used to power electric bulbs during the commissioning activities. This was corroborated by OCDC’s National Finance Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Okwori.
Both officials told this reporter that after the appeal by the OCDC failed to stop Senator Moro from commissioning the uncompleted project, the senator, allegedly accompanied by a strong detachment of security personnel, inaugurated the project on March 16, 2023, with two bulbs hung on the fence of the transformer using power from the hidden generator to light the bulbs to convince oblivious guests and residents that the project had successfully been completed. They said the commissioning was a sham and an unfortunate deception as expected by discerning members of the community.
“When they did the wiring and reached a point at the center of Ojigo here, that’s the high-tension wire, they just dropped one bulb on the transformer unit and they came with their campaign tricks that they were commissioning the light. So, our national president and other understanding community members asked how can they commission light when they have not made an extension to any place. This brought about conflict between them and the chairman of the local government. So, they put it on the air that they should suspend the commissioning of the project until they make a reasonable extension within the community.
“They met Senator Abba Moro and tried to present their opinion to him. But he turned it to be that they were against him and they wanted to write a petition against him. So, this thing brought serious confusion. By the time they came to commission this project, they did not use high-tension, they used a generator. After the commissioning, that was the end of the project,” Okwori told this reporter when he (reporter) visited Ojigo Community on August 1, 2023, to obtain first-hand information about the project.
Asked whether the generator was still being used to power the bulbs hung on the transformer since the commissioning up to the time of the reporter’s visit, Okwori said power came two weeks after the commissioning and that it was only available to just four households where power was stepped down.
“Up till now, you can only see light in five houses including the [local government] chairman’s house where there are step-downs within Ipol’Ojigo. It’s like she [Hon. (Mrs) Amina Audu, the ex-chairperson of Okpokwu LGA] sponsored the stepdown herself but because of political reasons, they wanted her to get light by all means.
“The project was commissioned with a lot of threat and intimidation because Senator Moro was accompanied by police, army, civil defense, and the vigilante,” Okwori added.
Controversy about who provided electric poles
On the supply of poles by the contractors for the continuation of the project as claimed by LBRBDA in its letter quoted earlier, Okwori said it was not true. According to him, the contractors only used the poles mounted by the former chairman of Okpokwu LGA, Dr Emmanuel Idoko.
“The poles you are seeing there were not brought by the contractors. These poles have been mounted for close to 20 [sic] years by the ousted administration of the former Chairman of the local government, Dr Emmanuel Idoko. So, all the poles used by the contractors, they didn’t bring a single pole,” Okwori insisted.
Although the reporter saw some new poles dropped at different locations by the roadside between the Ojigo playground and across the Ogbee/Ipole bridge, Okwori said the poles were acquired through community efforts. This claim was however countered by Hon. (Mrs) Audu who argued that the poles were provided by Senator Moro.
“No, no, no, it is not true. It is still the person that is bringing it, Abba Moro. Those poles were brought by Abba Moro. He sent it to us,” Mrs Audu, who was out of the community during the fact-finding visit, objected while speaking with this reporter via phone call.
However, former chairman of the local government, Dr. Emmanuel Idoko, corroborated Okwori’s claim when he told National Record in a phone interview that the community contributed money to fund the project when it was abandoned by the contractors, even as he noted that the money contributed was inconsequential.
“The community contributed money for the electricity project but the money was not up to anything. Much of the problem is that the village is also across the river and light has not reached there. But I am told they are taking some poles there or they will soon take some poles there. So, half of the village is across the river and I don’t think the government will want to award a contract for half of the village,” Dr. Idoko opined.
This reporter observed that most of the high-tension poles mounted since 1997 were not wired. He also found that in four households where power was stepped down, some people resorted to self-help by carrying out illegal wiring which was likely harmful and may be dangerous to residents if left unchecked.
Our findings revealed that the Ojigo Community has over two thousand (2,000) people in roughly 500 households. The community is said to have about one thousand five hundred (1,500) registered voters allocated in two polling units.
However, only four households, at the time of our visit to Ojigo, were enjoying an electric power supply which is allegedly very epileptic, although there was power when this reporter visited. The four benefiting households as at the time of the visit, this report was told, include Madam Alice Olowu, Mr. Gabriel Ujor, Mr. Jerome Okwori, and Hon. (Mrs) Amina Audu.
Asked whether she paid for the stepdown of power to her house or done by the contractors, Mrs Audu said neither she nor the contractors sponsored the stepdown but Senator Moro.
OCDC President, Justice Obochi, alleged that the four households belong to “political cronies of the Hon. Mrs Audu, and that power was only stepped down in those places, leaving the greater majority of the Ojigo people to their fate. The majority of the people will not be able to connect, and may never be able to enjoy the federal government-sponsored electrification project in Ojigo.”
OCDC’s SOS
The leadership of OCDC called on the federal government to prevail on the contractors to return to the site immediately to comprehensively implement the contract as awarded without further delay.
It also called on the federal government to investigate “the three different companies (contractors) for taking government monies under the guise of contract which they failed to implement and punish those behind what they described as corrupt practices.
“We demand that the government helps Ojigo to recover from the contractors all expenses incurred in trying to do self-help since after the abandonment of the site by the contractors,” the OCDC president told this reporter.
This report by National Record is supported by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development, Inclusivity and Accountability Project (CMEDIA) with funding support from the MacArthur Foundation.
