Akinwale Akintunde
31 October 2008
Lagos — An Ikeja High Court sitting in Lagos was yesterday told that there was no evidence on how contracts awarded in the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) under the leadership of Chief Olabode George (1st defendant) was inflated as contained in the charges brought against him.
First prosecution witness, Mr. Ayoola Elijah Ajala, made this revelation yesterday before Justice Olubunmi Oyewole at the continued hearing of a 68-count charge of conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order on policy guidelines for procurement and award of contracts in government ministries and parastatals, which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) preferred against George and five other accused persons.
Other accused persons standing trial before the court include former NPA Managing Director, Architect Aminu Dabo, Captain O. Abidoye, Alhaji Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, Alhaji Zanna Madaribe and Alhaji Sule Aliyu.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the prosecution witness tendered the copies of the minutes of the Board of the NPA held on November 12, 16, 18, 2003 and a copy of the reports of the investigating panel which examined the activities of the NPA under George.
Soon after, the defence team led by Chief Tunji Ayanlaja (SAN) representing George started their cross examinations. Under cross examinations by the counsels to George, the witness told the court that the evidences he had on the case before the court based on the minutes of the meeting of the board presided over by George and the reports from the investigating panel instituted by the presidency.
According to him, there was no indication from the minutes of the board meetings that contracts were inflated or split and that the board on its own never for once awarded any contracts according to the minutes of the meetings, except the management of the NPA.
"Our investigations were based on the activities of the Board and that of the NPA and not any individual.
The concern of the investigating committee was on the activities of the board. The second defendant (NPA MD) was investigated and interviewed as the MD of the NPA. Some members could not be traced, so they could not be interviewed.
"All the efforts to interview the first defendant (George) proved abortive, though he later reported at Abuja but I don't know the time. I was only informed of his appearance."
"The management presented the quotations of the contracts to the board and the contracts were awarded, there was no inflation of contracts on the face of the papers before me",he said.
On the award of contract for the refurbishment of 32 vessels by the NPA, the witness told the court that the contracts emanated from the management and eventually approved by the board for a a Holland -based company.
He explained to the court that award of contracts in NPA had different methods and levels, of which the board and the managing director issued and award contracts. He said he never had any interactions with Arch. Dabo as a board member except as an MD of the NPA.
He however, said that his testimonies were based on the preliminaries of his team investigations, which emanated from the two minutes of the board meetings held at different times and the report of the Presidential Special Committees.
He added that his job as a member of the investigating team ended with the conclusion of the committeeís assignment as he was subsequently transferred to Kano office of the EFCC.
He told the court also that based on his information, the NPA MD, Arch. Dabo, assumed office as the MD on October 2002 and that his investigating committee invited one of the former MD of NPA, Mr J.Y. Akago.
Asked whether he remembered collecting the handover note from the MD before or after the investigation, the witness responded that he cannot remember asking for any handover note.
Further hearing on the matter was adjourned till November 25, 2008.
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