A multi-billion naira road project in Osun State has been awarded to a company untraceable on the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

On March 8, Bashir Tokunbo Salam, the commissioner for special duties, flagged off the construction of the Ede-Egbedi-Erin Osun road. At the same time, he listed other roads and the companies handling them in other parts of the state.

The state government also posted brief information about seven projects, their financial details and the names of the contractors handling them on its X handle (@Osun_State_Gov) on Monday.


Contract details were released by the state government
To obtain contracts from either public or private institutions in Nigeria, it is mandated that companies be registered according to the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and comply with public procurement laws. Where a state government is awarding a contract to any company, it must set out some criteria guided by CAMA and its peculiar procurement regulations.

The State of Osun Public Procurement Law 2015 applies to public procurements in the state.

“As we rolled out the projects, we are complying with the procurement law on all fronts. All required due process is complied with. This administration is committed to open governance and open procurement,” Salam said of the state’s compliance with its laws in awarding the contracts.


Salam’s claim is, however, inconsistent with the findings of this newspaper.

VIOLATION OF PROCUREMENT LAW
Even if the public does not yet know all the specifics of the bidding processes, the information that is already accessible clearly demonstrates a discrepancy.

For instance, the award for the construction of the “7-span bridge at Okefia intersection” awarded to Askorj International Nigeria at the cost of N10,764,206,257.58 has raised some questions.

Askorj International Nigeria, as dsiclosed by the government at different times, has no evidence of registration on the CAC website. In essence, the government gave over N10 billion to a non-existent company.

When FIJ checked, the name closest to that on the CAC website was A’skorj Nig. Ltd., owned by Olabode Kehinde Adebayo and Olabode Rofiat Olawumi. It was marked inactive on the website, showing some financial liability.

Further checks showed another variant of the company, A’skorj Integrated Nig. Ltd. According to a contract signpost, the company is constructing “Alekuwodo-Okefia-Government House road flyover Bridge, including 33 DIA – Roundabout under bridge and 4 Nos, Slip road”.

Due to the peculiarity of company names, these two companies stand apart from the one named in government publications.

DEPUTY SPEAKER’S COMPANY GETS A CONTRACT
Furthermore, Raregeode Company Ltd. is constructing the “44-span bridge across Osun River and dual 2-span bridge across Erinle river,” which is projected to be completed in 12 months at a financial cost of N3,937,072,827.00.


Raregeode is owned by Oyewusi Akinyode Abidemi, the lawmaker representing Ife North State Constituency, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As a deputy speaker, he is a significant stakeholder and a person of considerable influence within the state power corridor.

During a phone call with our reporter on Monday for his comment, Abidemi confirmed being the founder of the company but said he had resigned from his position as the general managing director (GMD).

“I resigned from the company as the general managing director in March 2023 after winning my election,” the deputy speaker said. “You can ask from the CAC.”

When our reporter told him the company’s profile still showed him as the sole person with significant control over the company, he said, “Maybe the CAC has not updated their database.”


Responding to FIJ’s inquiry over the phone on Monday, Olawale Rasheed, Governor Ademola Adeleke’s spokesperson, referred this medium to the ministry of works, adding that it was impossible for the state to have awarded the contract to an unregistered company.

“That is impossible. Do you think the Osun State Government, under Adeleke, would award such a contract to an unregistered company? If you want to know more about the project, just visit the ministry of works and tell them that you want to know more about all the ongoing projects in the state. They will tell you what you want to know,” he said

Alimi did not answer his call when FIJ dialled his phone number, and he had not responded to a follow-up text message as of press time.



https://fij.ng/article/osun-awards-over-n10b-contract-to-company-untraceable-on-cac-website/?fbclid=IwAR2Gp8F1QdTnDZcfAMC7iRJ8DVASpECAYUdDGm2UUqeZHnoOukQZlr69NZI

Haaa Osun don enter one chance under Adeleke government. Na big fraud be this. More pictures

A state that has nothing tangible that it produces, some people decided to corner 10billion naira.

Support any politician at your own detriment. Them no send you.

Oyetola should go and sit down, he will never return for second term as governor of Osun state

All this lies about Governor ademola adeleke won't fly

Timoleon:
A state that has nothing tangible that it produces, some people decided to corner 10billion naira.

Support any politician at your own detriment. Them no send you.

seriously oooo. Too much corruption in the state

Aregbesola was the last capable governor in Osun state. Dancing governor was voted to dance Skelewu in government house so forget about accountability 😂😂😂

Osun is probably being run by some proxies cos I doubt baba governor is mentally balanced.

Will you shut your igbo mouth, wetin concern your igbo soul with Osun abi Osun don turn upper iweaka or Agulu for your bigoted tribalistic eye

LagosFirstSon:
Oyetola should go and sit down, he will never return for second term as governor of Osun state

All this lies about Governor ademola adeleke won't fly

Shawnnn01:
Will you shut your igbo mouth, wetin concern your igbo soul with Osun abi Osun don turn upper iweaka or Agulu for your bigoted tribalistic eye

Classic throw rocks and hide hands people

Which corner of SW is Anambra n Abia 🤔🤔

Shawnnn01:
Will you shut your igbo mouth, wetin concern your igbo soul with Osun abi Osun don turn upper iweaka or Agulu for your bigoted tribalistic eye

See Mr Not Tribalistic....🙄
Just be using words you don't even understand

Even with this high rate of poverty in the land people are still looting. And they will go to the church and give testimony for winning a multi million naira contract. Then pay cooperate tithe from the proceeds of the over inflated contract.
Our conscience is dead in Nigeria.

Osun State Government is Running a Rogue enterprise, with the Roborede abi na Raregode company, it is using, to fraudulently award state contracts to its cronies. This will definitely be questioned by Osun state people, and likeminds. 🤔🤔🤔

LagosFirstSon:
Oyetola should go and sit down, he will never return for second term as governor of Osun state

All this lies about Governor ademola adeleke won't fly

You people and your choo choo choo mouth in every matter that doesn't concern you just bcs you perceived his as enemy of Asiwaju

Must every corruption be politicized at the detriment of the indigen


Igbo matter done tire me with all the obsession with Yorubas

Osun why na?..

Chinjo2:
Even with this high rate of poverty in the land people are still looting. And they will go to the church and give testimony for winning a multi million naira contract. Then pay cooperate tithe from the proceeds of the over inflated contract.
Our conscience is dead in Nigeria.

Politicians are not daft

They spent money so that they would still bigger money

Very politicians are elected to loot, so the least evil among them give 50% back to the people while some evil loot 90% and nothing go happen.


Where last did you see Davido in Osun or comment about Osun development? They all had their share of the allocation and dear not to castigate their uncle

press9jatv:
seriously oooo. Too much corruption in the state

I thought you supported adeleke

santaclaws:
Aregbesola was the last capable governor in Osun state. Dancing governor was voted to dance Skelewu in government house so forget about accountability 😂😂😂

Osun is probably being run by some proxies cos I doubt baba governor is mentally balanced.

Oyetola tried just that he was media shy

LagosFirstSon:
Oyetola should go and sit down, he will never return for second term as governor of Osun state

All this lies about Governor ademola adeleke won't fly

Oga,oyetola isn't contesting.apc is fielding akin ogunbiyi

senatordave1:


Oga,oyetola isn't contesting.apc is fielding akin ogunbiyi

Anybody that APC fields will lose in Osun state

Shawnnn01:
Will you shut your igbo mouth, wetin concern your igbo soul with Osun abi Osun don turn upper iweaka or Agulu for your bigoted tribalistic eye

Oponu arindin, because them don promise you small change or employment if them APC enter Abi, but news flash APC no go ever smell power again in osun state, go carry all the agenda in the world come, e no go work cause osun people get eyes and them get brain, when u bastards where there the last 4yrs we kuku see what you guys did and we don see watein ademola dey do now, na so so lie se osun no get money unna dey rant for ur 4yrs but same osun wey unna thieves talk se no get money, na that same allocations ademola dey use do wonder that is visible, he has done more in a year than what that bastard oyetola did in 4yrs

LagosFirstSon:

Anybody that APC fields will lose in Osun state

Anybody they field will win as adeleke has failed woefully

He won't win the second term

Calm down , Davido still never collect him own dividends,

That's where most of the money Tinubu printed will end up in.
After making huge profit, they will head to the forex market to change it to foreign currency and weaken the Naira.

Freak0:
He won't win the second term

that is the truths here, no one will ever votes for Adeleke the clueless looter in 2026 poll

santaclaws:
Aregbesola was the last capable governor in Osun state. Dancing governor was voted to dance Skelewu in government house so forget about accountability 😂😂😂

Osun is probably being run by some proxies cos I doubt baba governor is mentally balanced.

If you say Aregbesola was the last capable governor in Osun, why skip Oyetola, who was governor for four years but was roundly rejected by the people of Osun State when seeking re-election, to vent your anger on the current governor?