Reminiscent of the cliché that says Monkey de work Baboon de chop, the Federal Ministry Of Works has paid a firm, Cartil Construction Nigeria Ltd, for a road project done by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR.
The Church raised the alarm in a petition submitted by a senior official of the Church to senate . The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has referred the petition to the Senate Committee on Ethics, privileges and public petitions.
The petitioner, Niyi Adebanjo, who is said to be acting on behalf of the General Overseer of the Church, Enoch Adeboye, said N151 million has been paid to a constuction firm, Cartil Construction Nigeria Ltd, as part reimbursement for the road project sited at Ife-Ifewara Road, Osun State, already executed by the Church authorities.
The Senate is said to have waded into the matter fully.
Indications are that the road network was originally awarded to the construction firm but was abandoned by the firm. It was later completed by the Church authorities, but the Ministry of Works decided to pay the contractor for the work they did not do.
“The rehabilitation of the road was awarded as part of the Church’s corporate social responsibility and paid for by Pastor Enoch Adeboye in the sum of N188,440,342 hence the claim by Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited was illegal and unjust”, the petition read.
“The Church hereby requests the Senate to look into the matter and, among others, urge the firm to refund the money it collected to the coffers of the Federal Government.”
Addressing the pannel last week, Adebanjo said the project cost the church N188 million. “Pastor E.A. Adeboye employed the services of the Construction Department of the RCCG to execute the project between August 26, 2016 and 2019 and the total cost was over N188m.
“The project started from Eruwa junction in Ife and Garage Olode in Ifewara, which is 8.2km. We have details of all the seven companies that supplied us with the materials used to execute the project. They delivered all the materials on site. We have supplied details of the projects to the committee.
“While the project was ongoing, authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service pleaded with Pastor Adeboye to extend the construction to their premises, which was done.
“There are people at Ife and Ifewara who can testify to the fact that Pastor Adeboye constructed the road because he visited the palace, where the Oba appreciated him for constructing the road.
“We were therefore shocked when we found out that somebody was trying to defraud the Nigerian state by claiming money for a project he never executed”, he said.
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