The former Director General of the Adamawa State Public Procurement Bureau, Alhaji Abba Bello Umar has vowed to expose the financial scam involving the governor of the state, Bala Ngiilari if the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, invites him.
Umar was sacked by the state government.
It will be recalled that the State House of Assembly, had last week, passed a resolution asking the EFCC to investigate transactions bordering on the purchase of 50 hilux vans and 2 bullet-proof jeeps at the cost of N580m. The lawmakers are alleging that due process was not followed in the transaction.
The lawmakers also directed the state government to recall the sacked DG, who they said was relieved of his appointment for querying contracts that do not follow due process.
In reaction to his sack, Umar said circumstances have vindicated him and that his sack was purely because he decided to blow the whistle on abuse of due process in the award of contracts by the administration.
“I am ready to testify before EFCC if called upon to do so over the government contracts awarded in contravention of Public Procurement Law and how I queried such contracts leading to my sack, arrest and detention on the orders of the government for doing my job,” Umar said.
He said he queried contracts that did not follow due process, including the purchase of 50 Hilux vans at the cost of N400 million and two bullet proof jeeps at the cost of N180 million. He explained that others included contracts for the printing of calendar and diaries, revitalization of the state television, printing of account books for Local Governments and Development Areas, procurement of official vehicles for commissioners and installation of street lights in some streets in Yola.
Umar further state that, “some of the ministries and parastatals that were queried for awarding contracts without obtaining the necessary clearance of “Certificate of no Objection” from the bureau office included Government House, Ministry for Local Government Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Adamawa State Urban Planning Development Authority, Ministry for Housing and Ministry of Information”.
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