Accessing N8.2b UBEC fund will expose Bindow to contractors – Analyst against anarchy
The Periscope integrity reporter
Contractors in Adamawa who were alleged to be tactfully, rather technically “digitally,” lured into lobbying to win without bidding, schools building contracts with N4.7b UBEC counterpart funds, were said to be working on how to get their monies refunded by Senator BindowJibrilla the former governor of Adamawa State, having received the news that governor Fintiri has directed the payment of matching grant to the Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC to be able to access N8.2b Basic Education Stimulus.
Speaking to the Periscope integrity reporter, the anonymous analyst against anarchy, revealed that had he redeemed the counterpart fund, Bindow would have accessed N4.7b from UBEC for construction, rehabilitation and renovation of some schools in Adamawa State.
Bindow however decided to delay the payment to be able to access the funds until after he must have enjoyed the second term mandate, the analyst against anarchy said, because the governor has “digitally,” promised to allocate slots to contractors more than the lots they were for bidding.
“His associates said that he was merely playing the spider, after the 2019 governorship election for which he was sure of winning, Bindow would do away with most of the contractors, to concentrate on those who have made financial commitments by means of lobby,” the analyst against anarchy said.
It was alleged that using a lawmaker with the Adamawa State House of Assembly- not Hon Alkali though – Bindow demanded for N2.5m upfront per lot from the gullible rather desperate contractors who would not want to be subjected to the rigours applying for tender and contract bidding.
“The errand lawmaker, wasn’t arrant nonsense, to go milder, while fronting against integrity that his conscience has lured him to feed fat and weighty on. He would have to add some hundreds of thousands of naira to the Bindow’s N2.5m targeted demand,” the analyst against anarchy said.
There was the 2019 gubernatorial election. However, Bindow has faced a humiliating defeat. He could therefore, no longer have access to the N4.7b UBEC fund, even though, the desperate rather gullible contractors have channelled the lobby funds to him through the lawmaker, as was alleged.
“Bindow would want a shortcut against due process associated with the procurement act to be able to access the N4.7b UBEC fund before the swearing in of the newly elected governor. However, the Director Planing with the ADSUBEB in Yola, would not want to tender his integrity for the Anti-Graft Agency bidding. He simply refused to be used and like refuse, dumped into the criminal act bin,” the analyst against anarchy said.
It is now no longer N4.7b but N8.2b that the Fintiri led government would access from UBEC with a view to rehabilitating 5,000 schools in the next six months for the development of education sector in Adamawa State, Mr. Solomon Kumangar the Director General Media and Communication Government House Yola, holding brief for Fintiri would say.
That’s the way the cookies crumble, James Hadley Chase would say; when one takes some tricks in, initially looking like a winning game, then comes the joker.
Everything is pulled down to ground zero. The contractors, if anymore interested in the 500 lots of schools rehabilitation projects, would have to bid for rather than beat against tender; talking about due process.
The contractors, the anonymous analyst against anarchy would reveal to the Periscope integrity reporter, “are left with the option of demanding for the refund of the lobby funds from Bindow and the lawmaker in question.”