A coalition of Civil Society Organizations, Osun Masterminds has called for thorough scrutiny of the track records of the companies that were awarded the Contracts of road construction by the Ademola Adeleke-led government of Osun State.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Prof Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli in the March edition of The state of the State address in Osogbo on Thursday, noted that discrepancy and inactive statuses of the companies on the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission could undermine the integrity of the procurement process.
He said, “We are particularly displeased by the conversations surrounding the nature of ownership of two of the major contractors – Messrs. Raregeode Limited & Messrs. Acumen Forte Limited.
“Assuming without conceding that the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Akinyode Oyewusi, and his wife, indeed resigned their positions as Directors in the said companies,
“it is a fact that they still will hold significant control over the current Managers of the companies, who will very likely be Managers appointed by the Deputy Speaker’s family.
“The track records of both firms also call for some concern. The total value of contracts awarded to both companies linked to the Deputy Speaker is 9.7billion. What is the history of both companies that make them deserving of contracts to that tune?
“We made some findings of our own and discovered that Kimzee Global Investment, the firm awarded the Construction of 4 span bridge at Lameco intersection, Osogbo at a cost of N8,521,632,257.28 has an inactive status on the Corporate Affairs Commission Website. This will mean that the Company has not been filing Annual returns with the regulatory body.
“The only project we also found linked to Messrs. Kimzee is “Organization of 1-Week Special Retreat/Meeting for Establishment of Civil Security Coordination Structure for the North-East” at a cost of 90,586,160.15, a contract it got from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development in the year 2022 (Source: Open Treasury Portal).
“We cringe to imagine that just two years ago, the company that got a Construction contract of over Nine Billion Naira in Osun State, was taking contracts for training not more than Ninety Million Naira. This does not prove to be a sufficient track record for a State Government to base procurement on.
“We also discovered that Enginec Integrated Engineering Limited, the firm that got the contract for the Dualisation of Baptist High School – Oke Gada, Ede at a cost of 11,090,838,764 is also marked Inactive on the database of the Corporate Affairs Commission. Awarded a contract worth a whooping Eleven Billion Naira, Enginec Limited’s inactive status with CAC leaves much to be desired. The story is the same for Great Enyork Tech Limited, the firm awarded the contract for Dualisation of Akoda – Baptist High School Ede at a whooping cost of 12,200,512,000”.
The Coalition also expressed enthusiasm for the project to revitalize Government Technical Colleges as a pivotal move to bridge the skill acquisition gap in the state while emphasizing the importance of equipping the youth with survival skills to foster productivity.
The Osun Masterminds lauded Governor Adeleke’s efforts in this regard but stressed the necessity for a robust institutional framework, enhanced curriculum relevance, and a significant rebranding effort to attract young people to these colleges. They advocated for a comprehensive approach to ensure the sustainability of these efforts beyond the current administration.
Additionally, the coalition addressed the ongoing teacher recruitment initiative, appreciating the move while calling for a non-partisan, merit-based selection process. They highlighted the importance of this exercise in filling the critical gaps within the State’s teaching service, urging for a well-conducted needs assessment to guide the recruitment.
Furthermore, the formation of a cyber crime committee by the State Government was met with skepticism by The Osun Masterminds, who called for clarity on the committee’s intentions and operations to ensure it does not become a tool for oppression or an unnecessary expenditure.
Finally, the coalition appealed to the Federal Government on several fronts, including the urgent need for rehabilitation of the Ibadan – Ilesa expressway, measures to combat food inflation, acceleration of local fuel production through refinery revitalization, and a reevaluation of leadership in the power sector to address the country’s worsening electricity situation.
