Governor Awards N229Million Contracts For Two Hospital Gates
Governor Awards N229Million Contracts For Two Hospital Gates
According to the contract details, the awards were for the erection of two gates at the General Hospitals in Okpoko and Fegge. The projects were tagged “Solution is Here Model Gate for General Hospitals Okpoko and Fegge,” indicating that each gate costs an average of ₦114.5 million.
ASaharaReporters review of the Anambra State Open Contracting Portal has shown that the state government under Charles Soludo awarded two contracts valued at ₦229 million for the erection of gates.
According to the contract details, the awards were for the erection of two gates at the General Hospitals in Okpoko and Fegge. The projects were tagged “Solution is Here Model Gate for General Hospitals Okpoko and Fegge,” indicating that each gate costs an average of ₦114.5 million.
Further review showed that the contracts were awarded to Crystal Dove Construction Limited. However, checks by SaharaReporters on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal did not reveal details of the company.
Amid these contract awards, SaharaReporters earlier reported that the Anambra State Audit Report for the year ended December 31, 2024, uncovered several unresolved financial queries across multiple ministries, revealing alleged fiscal indiscipline, unretired funds, missing government vehicles, and possible diversion of public resources.
The report, issued by the Office of the State Auditor-General, flagged irregularities totaling over ₦725 million across the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Transport, Environment, and Information, as well as parastatals including the Anambra State Sports Development Commission and the Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS).
The audit revealed that ₦263 million released to the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) was not retired.
“The sum of two hundred and sixty-three million naira (N263,000,000.00) released through the ministry to Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA) was not retired by the recipients,” the report said.
According to the report, the funds were approved by the Governor as consultancy fees for a “Mixed Use Industrial City Master Plan and Development application for special Economic zone Licence for the State provided by Artelia Consulting Engineers Limited.”
“Request for release of two hundred and forty-three million naira (N243,000,000.00) was written by former Managing Director ANSIPPA and the Head of Department PPP/Business Development ANSIPPA who pledged through written undertaken to retire the money… Both releases were signed and collected by one Okoye Loretta for the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer ANSIPPA,” the report said.
However, auditors said there was no evidence of the master plan or the licence for which the funds were released.
“The purpose for the release of the sum of N243,000,000.00 could not be verified in the audit because no Master Plan was produced for audit sighting and inspection neither was the licence obtained by paying N10,000,000.00 out of the N20,000,000.00 produced for audit inspection and verification,” it said.
“This observation of non-retirement of capital releases negates the principles of financial accountability and fiscal responsibility. The Honourable Commissioner was directed to as a matter of urgency to cause the officers concerned to retire the amount or refund same to government coffers failing which the Honourable Commissioner should refund the money.”
In addition, three government vehicles; a Peugeot Panther (AN 339-E01) and two Ford Rangers (AN 40-A03 and AN 30-A03), could not be accounted for by the ministry.
