Less than one year after President Mohammed Buhari, terminated the N1.5
billion monthly maritime security contract awarded to Global West Vessel
Services Limited (GWVSL), the Federal Government on Wednesday 21st
September, 2016 re-awarded the contract to the Rivers State Chairman of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Davies Ikanya, who was allegedly
said to have presented Snecou Financial Services Company Limited to
execute the job.
MMS Plus gathered that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
Agency (NIMASA), the agency under which the contract is carried out, has
issued an award letter to the favoured company, as NIMASA had written to
the Bureau of Public Procurement(BPP) to obtain “NO Objection” permit to
use direct procurement for the engagement of the new company instead of
competitive bidding process in line with the procurement Act.
Global West has been associated with High Chief Government Ekpemupolo,
also known as Tompolo.
According to our source, there are some variations and other financial
services commitment in the new contract as against that of Tompolo, which
was provision of security for the waterways and pipelines called security
surveillance.
Under the Tompolo’s briefs purportedly done through Public Private
Partnership (PPP), Global West procured over 20 vessels, mainly
monitoring and enforcement boats, under a Purchase, Operate and
Transfer(POT) agreement with NIMASA.
Under the new contract, whose full financial details have not been made
public, Snecou Financial Services Company Limited is to among other things
provide platforms for waterways monitoring and enforcement; engage in
revenue services enhancement and debt reconciliation and recovery services
for NIMASA.
In the words of our reliable source in NIMASA,” NIMASA appointed the
company and requested and got approval from BPP for no objection to use
direct procurement for the engagement of Snecou Financial Services
Company Limited for the provision of revenue enhancement and debt
reconciliation and recovery services by NIMASA. They are to take over all
the functions that were performed by Tompolo. Award letter has been given
to the company, brought by the APC chairman, Rivers States.”
The aspect of debt recovery and revenue enhancement services for the
company was decided at the 55th Parastatals Tenders Board (PTB) of NIMASA
which took place on Friday September,2016 at NIMASA’s head office in
Lagos.
Following this resolution, a total of N4.8million is to be paid monthly to
Snecou Financial Services as engagement fees and other allowances for the
period of the two years contract, commencing from October 1st 2016 to 30th
September, 2018.
A breakdown of the contract terms shows that the sum of N3.2million will
be paid as Man-month rate to the company; the sum of N1.6million stated as
sum reimbursable. Also, the contract was anchored on success rate of 13
percent based on a benchmark of $19,753,012.36 and N239,607,155.52
monthly.
A maximum cap of 15 percent success rate is payable on any new revenue
head discovered by the consultants within the contract period.
The PTB, however, noted that the recovery of outstanding debts owed NIMASA
is subject to a success rate payment as they are recovered on a “No Cure,
No Pay basis”.
Earlier, in the month of September, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr.
Dakuku Peterside in a meeting with members of Marine Environment
Management(MEM) department of the agency, had assured them that in two
weeks a contract for the provision of enforcement and monitoring platforms
would be given out to provide the facilities.
The workers had complained about the absence of platforms for security
enforcement and monitoring.
Meanwhile, with the termination of Tompolo’s contract, over 20 vessels in
the inventory of Global West were taken over by NIMASA, yet they lack
crafts to carry out their duties. As a result, observers have asked,”
where are the recovered vessels?”
The curiosity is further raised here when a NIMASA staff asserted that
those who man the vessels are naval personnel who are authorized by the
Constitution to police the water ways.
A further investigation by MMS plus revealed that the company engaged by
NIMASA for the water ways has integrity crises. Former Governor of Bayelsa
State, Timipre Sylva had allegedly used Snecou Group of Companies to
launder the state’s money.
Consequently, then, the Bayelsa State High Court Judge, Justice Kate
Abiri had granted an interim order stopping further deduction of
N300million monthly from Bayelsa State Account based on the Irrevocable
Statutory Payment Order(ISPO) signed between the administration of the
former governor and Snecou Group of companies over undisclosed services
rendered since 2007. The payment was stopped by the present governor,
Sirieka Dickson.
In 2010, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged
Snecou Group to Court for using unregistered companies to defraud the
sum of N5.6 billion belonging to Nasarawa State Government through
unexecuted contracts.
In September, 2012 Snecou Group was contracted by the Ghana government to
construct 4000 houses at the cost of 200million dollars, a parliamentary
approval was sought, but an advocacy group in Ghana, IMANI raised an
objection to the deal because of the credibility problem associated with
the company, actually owned by Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, a two time
gubernatorial candidate in Anambra State.
Courtesy:MMS