Ekiti Government Clears Air On Reports That Some Top Civil Servants Awarded Contracts For Themselves 

… Says No Permanent Secretary, MD’s, DG’s, Agencies Were Awarded Contracts

By Joseph Sunday 

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The Government of Ekiti State has cleared the air on an earlier report saying that some top civil servants in the State awarded contracts for themselves, therefore clarifying that no Permanent Secretary, MD’s, DG’s and Agencies were awarded any contracts by the Mr Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s administration in the State. 

According to the statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Rt Honourable Taiwo Olatubosun and made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Friday evening, he described an earlier media report suggesting that the Ekiti State Government awarded contracts worth N1.189 billion to some Permanent Secretaries, General Managers and Director Generals of Government Agencies as untrue. 

Rather, Olatubosun maintained, restating the Ekiti State Government’s commitment to due diligence, transparency and accountability in the Management of the funds belonging to the State. 

Emphasizing further, Olatubosun pointed out, saying it became necessary to set the record straight, by dispelling every distrust and anxiety that may be caused by the previous reports if not addressed. 

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Providing a detailed explanation on the matter, the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatubosun expressed worry why the publication downplayed the fact that the procurement process referred to was conducted under strict guidelines of Direct Labour Procurement Law of the State and involved amounts well below thresholds allowed by the law.

He stressed that the Direct Labour Procurement Laws were established to ensure that procurement activities are conducted transparently, efficiently, and within the bounds of fiscal responsibility. 

Olatunbosun explained that “the Direct Labour Procurement method is principally designed for projects that require urgent attention, and it is well-regulated to prevent any form of abuse or misallocation of resources. All contracts awarded through this process have been thoroughly vetted, ensuring that they meet the necessary requirements and contribute to the public good without exceeding the legally permissible financial limits”.

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“It’s important to understand that the Permanent Secretaries involved in these processes are not beneficiaries of the contracts. Rather, they are the custodians, as Accounting Officers of their respective MDAs, that shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that public procurement adheres to the highest standards of accountability and transparency”.

“Any suggestion that they are personally benefiting from these contracts is not only inaccurate but also undermines the integrity of the civil service”.

He noted that information on the website of the State Bureau of Public Procurement that was misrepresented by the publication to the public clearly stated the specific purpose of the projects, adding that the project involving the Ministry of Transportation comprised the internal electrification and installation of 1MVA,33/0.415kva transformer at the State Cargo Airport while that of the Ministry of  Investment, Trade, Industries and Cooperatives was for empowerment of skilled-workers through training and securing Trade Test Certificate for artisan groups in the state and the State Electricity Board were to handle repair of damaged transformer at Falegan as well as install relief transformer at Olaoluwa/Orisun Egbewa communities along Ilawe road in the State capital.

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Reiterating the commitment of Governor Biodun Oyebanji administration to upholding the principles of transparency and accountability in all procurement processes, Olatunbosun appealed to newsmen to avoid misrepresentation of facts to the public, stressing the need to be thorough to avoid distortion of facts.  

“We remain committed to upholding the principles of transparency and accountability in all our procurement processes. Any inquiries into these matters will reveal that we have strictly followed due process, in line with the provisions set out by the government. We welcome any further scrutiny or independent review to verify these facts”, he stated.

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