Stephen Gana, the 10th prosecution witness has disclosed that a company owned by a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff member was awarded a N99.9 million contract without undergoing a competitive bidding process.
The witness, who served as the head of CBN’s Procurement Office during the tenure of Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of CBN, testified before Hamza Mu’azu, Justice of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
He revealed that the company, April 16 16 Investment Limited, owned by Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, a staff member of the apex bank, was awarded a N99.9 million contract to supply vehicles to the CBN without a competitive bidding process.
The contract, according to him, granted through direct procurement, allegedly did not meet any of the stipulated conditions for such a method, including the absence of sole manufacturers or emergencies.
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“April 16 16 was neither the sole manufacturer nor the sole distributor,” Gana stated.
He further stated that the company did not hold any exclusive dealership rights over the vehicles supplied.
Despite Gana’s position as the head of the procurement office, he admitted that he did not verify whether April 16 16 was the only available vendor for the vehicles.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Emefiele on amended 20-count charges, including conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and obtaining by false pretences, with the alleged sum involved amounting to $6.23 million.
The presiding judge, therefore adjourned the case for continuation on November 13, 2024.
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