FG approves jumbo contract for ballot boxes 

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the award of N1.95bn contract for the purchase of 150,000 collapsible transparent ballot boxes for the 2011 general elections.

Going by the sum, each of the ballot boxes to be supplied by Messrs Emchai Limited, will cost N13,000.

The N13,000 is, however, N5,250 less than the N18,250 which the commission spent on the same item in 2007.

Emchai, according to www.usafricaonline.com, is a civil, electrical, mechanical engineering and supply services company.

A newspaper report in September said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was working on petition alleging that Emchai conspired with the leadership of INEC under Prof. Maurice Iwu to supply transparent ballot boxes patented by Bedding Holding Ltd.

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, who briefed journalists after the council meeting in Abuja , explained that the N1.95bn was a part of the N3bn appropriated for the procurement in the 2010 supplementary budget.

He, however, did not say if the sum formed part of the N87.9bn budget prepared for the conduct of the poll by INEC.

When contacted by one of our correspondents, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said that the electoral body recommended the sum.

Idowu, “Yes, it was part of INEC’s submissions. Remember, FEC approved the contracts for he DDC Machines a few weeks ago.

“As for the cost, (why it is that high) I can’t comment on that.”

Aganga also disclosed that the 2011 budget might be sent to the National Assembly for consideration in the next two weeks.

“It (budget) will be ready within the next two weeks. We have several meetings today, tomorrow and next week. By next week, you will hear some information,” Aganga said.

He briefed journalists in company with the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili; the Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Dagash, the Minister of State( Power), Mallam Nuhu Wya; the Minister of State, (Communications), Labaran Maku; and Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Navy Capt. Olubolade Caleb (Retd.)

Akunyili, who was the first to brief journalists, said that FEC approved N18bn contracts for the construction of a 10- storey building for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission headquarters in Abuja and N11.41bn for power projects.

HARDDON:

we shall ovA COME, 4 DEEP IN MA HEART, I DO BLIV, WE SHALL OVACOME SOME DAY

Reference:

I really wish to know what goes on in these FEC meetings beyond contract approvals. Nigeria is degenerating into a contract economy. Quick bucks by allocation. When it was said in Gowon's time that our problem was not money but how to spend it, now I trully get the import. No suggestions on how to generate income, no meetings on how to put Nigerians to work - those are for Hilton talk shops, no brainstorming and retreats by our executhieves on how to turn allocation to production, no, it is all spend, spend, spend.

The reserves are gone, the debts are back and top leadership still meets on who to give money to buy plastic boxes, the job of the technical department of INEC. That is what 30 odd men and women of timberand calibre, the best brains in Nigeria and our hope for redemption met to decide. We are in a big mess.

Where are the 2007 boxes and why can't they be reused. Why can't we be ever accountable in our lives for once. What is wrong with us in this country.

What a waste.

Dis Guy:

imagine o N13,000 for this thing!