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Less than one year after President Mohammed Buhari, terminated the N1.5 billion monthly maritime security contract awarded to Global West Vessel Services Limited (GWVSL), the Federal Government on Wednesday 21st September, 2016 re-awarded the contract to the Rivers State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Davies Ikanya, who was allegedly said to have presented Snecou Financial Services Company Limited to execute the job.
MMS Plus gathered that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the agency under which the contract is carried out, has issued an award letter to the favoured company, as NIMASA had written to the Bureau of Public Procurement(BPP) to obtain “NO Objection” permit to use direct procurement for the engagement of the new company instead of competitive bidding process in line with the procurement Act.
Global West has been associated with High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo.
According to our source, there are some variations and other financial services commitment in the new contract as against that of Tompolo, which was provision of security for the waterways and pipelines called security surveillance.
Under the Tompolo’s briefs purportedly done through Public Private Partnership (PPP), Global West procured over 20 vessels, mainly monitoring and enforcement boats, under a Purchase, Operate and Transfer(POT) agreement with NIMASA.
Under the new contract, whose full financial details have not been made public, Snecou Financial Services Company Limited is to among other things provide platforms for waterways monitoring and enforcement; engage in revenue services enhancement and debt reconciliation and recovery services for NIMASA.
In the words of our reliable source in NIMASA,” NIMASA appointed the company and requested and got approval from BPP for no objection to use direct procurement for the engagement of Snecou Financial Services Company Limited for the provision of revenue enhancement and debt reconciliation and recovery services by NIMASA. They are to take over all the functions that were performed by Tompolo. Award letter has been given to the company, brought by the APC chairman, Rivers States.”
The aspect of debt recovery and revenue enhancement services for the company was decided at the 55th Parastatals Tenders Board (PTB) of NIMASA which took place on Friday September,2016 at NIMASA’s head office in Lagos.
Following this resolution, a total of N4.8million is to be paid monthly to Snecou Financial Services as engagement fees and other allowances for the period of the two years contract, commencing from October 1st 2016 to 30th September, 2018.
A breakdown of the contract terms shows that the sum of N3.2million will be paid as Man-month rate to the company; the sum of N1.6million stated as sum reimbursable. Also, the contract was anchored on success rate of 13 percent based on a benchmark of $19,753,012.36 and N239,607,155.52 monthly.
A maximum cap of 15 percent success rate is payable on any new revenue head discovered by the consultants within the contract period.
The PTB, however, noted that the recovery of outstanding debts owed NIMASA is subject to a success rate payment as they are recovered on a “No Cure, No Pay basis”.
Earlier, in the month of September, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside in a meeting with members of Marine Environment Management(MEM) department of the agency, had assured them that in two weeks a contract for the provision of enforcement and monitoring platforms would be given out to provide the facilities.
The workers had complained about the absence of platforms for security enforcement and monitoring.
Meanwhile, with the termination of Tompolo’s contract, over 20 vessels in the inventory of Global West were taken over by NIMASA, yet they lack crafts to carry out their duties. As a result, observers have asked,” where are the recovered vessels?”
The curiosity is further raised here when a NIMASA staff asserted that those who man the vessels are naval personnel who are authorized by the Constitution to police the water ways.
A further investigation by MMS plus revealed that the company engaged by NIMASA for the water ways has integrity crises. Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva had allegedly used Snecou Group of Companies to launder the state’s money. Consequently, then, the Bayelsa State High Court Judge, Justice Kate Abiri had granted an interim order stopping further deduction of N300million monthly from Bayelsa State Account based on the Irrevocable Statutory Payment Order(ISPO) signed between the administration of the former governor and Snecou Group of companies over undisclosed services rendered since 2007. The payment was stopped by the present governor, Sirieka Dickson.
In 2010, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Snecou Group to Court for using unregistered companies to defraud the sum of N5.6 billion belonging to Nasarawa State Government through unexecuted contracts.
In September, 2012 Snecou Group was contracted by the Ghana government to construct 4000 houses at the cost of 200million dollars, a parliamentary approval was sought, but an advocacy group in Ghana, IMANI raised an objection to the deal because of the credibility problem associated with the company, actually owned by Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, a two time gubernatorial candidate in Anambra State.
