Ndiomu, who was appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2022 to oversee the winding down of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, was expected to vacate his position shortly.
The contract award has raised concerns as it appears to violate the Procurement Act 2019, as amended, which mandates a 30 per cent mobilization fee for contracts.
Sources suggested that certain officials within the Amnesty Office might have promoted the interests of Alom Aviation Limited.
It remains unclear whether the agency conducted an open competitive bidding process for this contract, as required by the Procurement Act.
Moreover, questions have arisen regarding Ndiomu’s authority to award such a substantial contract.
There were speculations that he might have deviated from proper procurement procedures, possibly due to uncertainty surrounding the duration of his tenure.
In response to multiple petitions against Ndiomu, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who supervises the Amnesty Office, is reportedly investigating the matter.
There are indications that Ndiomu’s tenure may not be extended, given the serious allegations of impropriety raised by stakeholders.
Some employees within the Amnesty Office have expressed concerns over the full payment of N2.9 billion to Alom Aviation Limited, describing it as unusual and questionable.
They noted that it was uncommon for an entity to make a 100 per cent payment for a contract that had not yet commenced, not to talk of completion.
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Furthermore, it has come to light that employees in the accounts department were pressured into taking non-disclosure oaths and faced with threats of dismissal if they disclosed the illegal payment to the public.
Meanwhile, approximately 60 out of the 139 beneficiaries of the training programme, consisting of maintenance engineers, were told that their training would take place in Lagos at Leads Stream Aviation, owned by Mr. Roland.
However, investigations suggest that the Lagos training centre has yet to be ready.
The Amnesty Office informed the beneficiaries that the delay in their deployment was due to petitions filed against Ndiomu.
Additionally, an unnamed employee of Alom Aviation Limited in Lagos disclosed that the company had received 100 per cent payment.