Date Published: 08/18/10

N500 Billion Defence Contract: IBB, YAYALE Inflate Contract by N322 Billion

…Contract Already Awarded in 2008 for N178 Billion

…IBB Supplied $25 Million Obsolete Equipment in 2009

…Yayale Wants extra $1 Million

…Adetokunbo Kayode Schemes Out Yar’Adua

General Ibrahim Babangida Aka IBB	Mr. Yayale Ahmed, Secretary to Government	Adetokunboh Kayode, Defence Minister	General Abdulrahman Danbazzau, Chief of Army Staff

The last may not  have been heard of the defence contract involving companies belonging to former Military leader, General Ibrahim Babangida and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ahmed Yayale as fresh facts emerged that the new contract may have been inflated from N178 Billion to N500 Billion.

Sources informed pointblanknews.com that in 2008, the same contract for the supply of the same Military hardware was awarded to the two companies for N178 Billion. The military equipments supplied in 2009 are currently rusting away in a Military warehouse somewhere in Badagry, Lagos State or unusable because they are too old.

For instance, some of the equipment, two Shaldag, a small but fast class of patrol boats believed to be the Mk II variant - from Israel Aerospace Industries' Ramta division at a cost price of about $25 Million has been grounded because they are considered obsolete. The $25Million Shaldag deal was brokered by Sami Haider, a front for IBB.

Under normal circumstances, the equipment requires two years to manufacture based on specifications and usually inspected by Lloyds of London but that is not the case here, according to Military analysts.

The two Shaldags delivered was below the 25 meter specification. They came without arms, navigational and radar system and were used by Israeli Navy and later refurbished for the Nigeria Navy, sources told Pointblanknews.com

It was also gleaned that all the Manta Class boats delivered by Suncraft two years ago are all grounded while Suncraft is asking for another $1million outside of Total Logistics Supports (TLS) contract for spare parts.

Also, the Frigates, a warship intended to protect other warships and merchant ships as anti-submarine warfare proposed in the new N500 Billion contract at a price of €90 Million is over 30 years old and has been undergoing refurbishment since last year. The equipment is currently in Portugal.

The inspection team hurriedly arranged by Mr. Yayale, according to sources, is a scam as Lloyd of London; an authority in this sphere was not called in.

It was further gathered that Yayale and his point man own two jets which are used to fly Nigerian officials on a fathom inspection tour around the world. For instance, the trip to Portugal for the ‘new’ frigates is being sponsored by Yayale and Amitsade in their private jets.

The monies acquired, it was gathered, would be used to finance General Babangida’s presidential bid. Yayale is the point man and the nucleus of collections from the major characters mentioned above.

The new contract worth N500 billion now under serious review as a result of Pointblanknews.com expose, is believed to have been jerked up as part of the plans to
bolster Babangida’s financials and presidential bid ahead the 2011 general elections in Nigeria.

Those working behind the scene to ensure IBB and Yayale are awarded the juicy Defence contract are: Defence Minister, Adetokunbo Kayode, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Danbazau, Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral A. I. Ibrahim, Principal General Staff Officer and Rear Admiral Dele Uzoba.

No military official would want to comment on the issue but those preferring anonymity claimed that the scandal is currently tearing the military apart as internal probe headed by Defence Chief Air Marshal Paul Dike intends to unravel those behind the leakage of the contract documents to pointblanknews.com and the veracity of the ownership of the two Defence contract firm.

Other Military sources hinted that Military heads are claiming ignorance of the real owners of Doyatechcom and Suncraft Conglomerate owned by Mr. Yayale and General Babangida.

“They said they have been seeing other names on the companies’ documents and not that of IBB and Yayale and they all know they are not telling the truth because the companies have been here for long. They even supply things as cheap as toilet papers, calendars and dairies,” a source told pointblanknews.com.

Efforts to get the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, to unravel the names behind the two defence companies were abortive as officials refused to cooperate with Pointblanknews.com

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Defence, Murtala Yar’Adua is fenced off of the deal by the substantive minister who decided to fence him off even though the Nigerian Navy falls under his purview. He appears to be making efforts to do the right thing but Adetokunbo Kayode is allegedly already compromised.