SOCIAL AUDIT: HOW ENetSuD SAVED KWSG FROM OVERPAYING ₦16 MILLION TO CONTRACTOR

The Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD), a Kwara-based Civil Society Organization, has explained to the state government how the contract sum for the College of Education road project in Ilorin contradicted the quantum of the job done at the site.

ENetSuD has also saved the Kwara State Government a sum of ₦16.6 million naira on the project through the Kwara Social Audit program initiated by the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. ENetSuD also insisted that in addition to the deduction of ₦16.6 million naira from the final payment to the contractor, additional asphalt of 1-centimetre thickness should be laid on the road by the contractor.

In the report signed by the Coordinator (Dr. Alagbonsi Abdullateef) and presented to the Governor by the Deputy Coordinator, Projects Tracking (Comrade Aliyu Mashood), ENetSuD noted that contrary to the provision in the Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME) that the length and breadth of the road are 800 meters and 12.5 meters respectively, the actual measurements of the work done by the contractor are 696 meters and 9.4 meters respectively. Moreover, the contractor laid asphalt of 3-centimetre instead of 4-centimetre thickness provided in the BEME.

ENetSuD explained that “Based on our Technical Measurement and Evaluation, the actual sum of Bills 3 and 4 is ₦35,403,870 (derived from ₦4,000,350 for the concrete work on drainage and culvert + ₦31,403,520 for the road work), which is contrary to the ₦52,080,300 provided in the BEME as the expectation of work to be done by the contractor. The contractor has not fully executed the project as per the BEME and the financial worth of jobs that were not done is ₦16,676,430”.

ENetSuD recommends to the Governor that “If the contractor has been fully paid the contract sum, the estimated excess of ₦16,676,430 (for the jobs not done on the site) should be returned to the State government to save taxpayers’ money. If the contractor has not been fully paid, the government should ensure that the total payment for the contract (bills 1-4) is equivalent to the real job done on the site, which is approximately ₦40,803,870.

In addition to these recommendations, ENetSuD said that “the contractor should be directed to return to the site to add at least 1 c.m asphaltic concrete wearing course to the approximately 3 c.m already constructed so as to complete the 4 c.m thickness approved in the BEME” (see full report https://enetsud.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Social-Audit-Report-on-College-of-Education-Road-in-Ilorin.pdf).

While reacting to ENetSuD’s report during the presentation to the Governor, members of the public and the media, the contractor and the Ministry were insinuating that the excess money from the road is being used for another project which has never been approved, a defence that the Governor disagreed with. Upholding ENetSuD’s report, the Governor directed that further payment on the project be stopped and the amount to be refunded to the State government by the contractor be determined.

END

Signed,
Usman Radhiyyat Taiye (Mrs),
Deputy Coordinator (Administration),
Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD)