…..says  contract inflated with over N 500,000.000.00

…pays for non executed projects

. ..Council Chairs, still earns salary in another Varsity

 
A Civil Society group, Good Governance And Accountability Watch, GGAAW, has accused the  Governing Council,  Management and key officials of the Federal University of Petroleum Resource Efurun, Delta state of alleged wanton corrupt practices ,abuse of office and maladministration.

 
In a strong worded petition to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, copied the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, and other anti -Corruption agencies in the country, GGAAW accused the Chairman of the governing council of the University,  Professor  Sehu Adullahi Zuru, of allegedly violating the Public Procurement Act  in the award of Contracts in the institution. 

The group also alleged that , the  Chairman and Management of the institution indulged in unwholesome corrupt practices, by inflating cost  of projects and  over paying contractors  for   non executed projects.

The petition singed by. Dr. John Sani Attah, on behalf of the body  and  made available to Newsmen in  Abuja, specifically accused the Chairman of instigating the inflation of  a contract for the construction of a hostel in the school to the tune of Five Hundred Million Naira, N500.000.000.00 only, without variation as required by law and other extant regulations.

According to Attah, the  inflated  contract was originally awarded at the cost of N481,000,000.00 only, but had to be inflated on the directives of the governing council Chairman.  He further alleged that, the the University over paid contractors and also made payments  for non executed contracts .He said most of the beneficiaries of the illegality are known  associates or cronies of  professor Zuru. 

“It is on record ,that before the resumption of Professor Abdullahi Zuru in 2016 as the Chairman of Council in the University, a contract was awarded for the construction of hostel in the school at the contract sum of Four Hundred and Eighty One Million Naira only (N481,000.000.00) . But immediately upon assuming office as the Chairman of the Governing Council  in 2016 ,he conspired with the Director of Physical Planning (DPP), the Vice Chancellor, and the Consultant to over inflate the contract to a whooping sum of Nine Hundred and Eighty One Million Naira (N981,000,000.00) a clear mark-up of Five Hundred Million Naira only (N500,000,000.00) without any contract variation.”

“Worthy of note is that, this project started with the 2013  NEEDS  ASSESSMENT FUND. The policy of needs assessment fund states “That ,an external consultant must be use in every the execution of needs assessment jobs”But in clear violation of this policy, no such external Consultant was used. It is pertinent to mention also that, this project is currently receiving funding from the second trench in clear violation of the need ,policy and regulations.to use an external consultant.” He said. 

He also said the institution under the present governing board, is found of awarding vodoo contracts to allies of Prof. Zuru. He mentioned some of the contracts recently awarded to include, the hostel project, Water and Electricity projects as well as the convocation arena project respectively.

 
The anti -corruption crusaders  equally alleged in the petition that, the Chairman of Council usually demands and gratification( bribe) from those wishing to transact businesses with the institution in a personal office located at Wuse Zone 6, in Abuja.According to him, Zuru  acquired and is  using the private office to transact official business of the University.

 
The GGAAW, also accused the Chairman of still earning monthly wages and other allowances from the University of Abuja, as a Lecturer while still presiding over at FUPRE and earning entitlements as the Chairman of the governing Council.

 The petitioners also alleged that, Professor Zuru has refused to let go, the Director of Public Procurement which has been in the institution for over 10 ,years, which is a volition of the National University Commission’s guideline and has also crossed the mandatory retirement age of 60 years for Civil Servants.

“Sir, you may wish to note that Professor Shehu Adullahi Zuru who is the Chairman of the governing Council UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES EFURUN is still a salary earning employee in the University of Abuja, and earns  other wages, having not resigned from his lectureship since his appointement as chairman of Council in the FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES EFURUN.

“This ,is highly reprehensible and a violation of Public Service /Civil service rules. It could also, be viewed as an act  of corruption at the  highest level. His strongest ally, the Director of Physical Planning has also spent over Ten years instead of Five years (5) as stipulated for DPP by the National University Commission NUC.

He has  also attained and even crossed the statutory retirement age of 60 years for civil servants in Nigeria. “He emphasised. Meanwhile, all efforts to get across to the school management proved abortive.