₦airaland Forum

The Anambra State Government has closed its Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) portal for ‘maintenance’ right after FIJ reported procurement Irregularities involving newly registered and inactive companies.

FIJ observed that the portal was first taken down on Monday. The Anambra OCDS is the only service, out of the eight e-procurement services, currently offline for “maintenance”. All other services on the procurement website remain accessible.

At press time, e-procurement services — including tender adverts, e-tender, e-auctions, and registration pages — were still functional.

When FIJ contacted the state’s procurement office on Friday, a staff member said the portal was undergoing backend work and would not be available until late October or early November.

As a result of the “scheduled maintenance”, procurement and contracting inquiries sent through email or the citizen engagement section cannot be addressed.

This development comes after FIJ reported that Anambra awarded nearly N386.3 million in contracts to Calyzid Ventures, a company incorporated on September 20, 2023.

Despite being only six days old when it bid for the first project, the company won a N290.5 million contract to supply laboratory equipment to 17 general hospitals across the state.

Records on the portal showed that the bid opened on September 11, 2023, and closed on September 26, just days after the company was registered.

Although Calyzid quoted N316.5 million, the contract was awarded at N290.5 million, the project’s budget ceiling.

Two other bidders were listed, one of which, Wills and Muncy, was registered on September 5, 2023, and is also inactive on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) website.

FIJ also found that a 20-month gap followed between the September 2023 bid opening and the contract award in May 2025.

In July, the state awarded Calyzid a second contract worth N95.8 million for a geophysical survey, even though CAC records showed the company was inactive at the time.

The two contracts brought the total awarded to the firm to N386.3 million in less than two months.

Per the NITDA, whose job is to enable users of government websites to access credible information in a manner consistent with global best practice, government websites must be accessible 24 hours every day.

ukukaegbu:
Soludo is a crook.

Any person that comes out to attack a clean man like Peter Obi, check that person very well and you will find plenty dirt on him.

ACRI:
Both of them are crooks so rest

Obi was caught red handed ferrying #250m to Apapa warehouse as Governor, it's online. Stop painting red white to decide gullible people

esnbrutality:
Report to EFCC and charge him na...is that NOT what you should do?

ACRI:
You can start the process

Hold your yeye governors accountable. If na outside your region this news come out now u no go allow person hear word

Ushame:
This soludo thinks everybody is beneath him and he is a wise man... One day sha, just one day.

ukukaegbu:
Soludo is a crook.

Any person that comes out to attack a clean man like Peter Obi, check that person very well and you will find plenty dirt on him.

esnbrutality:
Why will I start when you are already telling us about the so called corruption. Don't you want to arrest a corrupt Peter Obi?

Jokers

ACRI:
Both of them are crooks so rest

Obi was caught red handed ferrying #250m to Apapa warehouse as Governor, it's online. Stop painting red white to deceive gullible people

While there was an incident involving his aides transporting approximately ₦250 million in cash to his private company in Apapa, Lagos, Obi was not personally present or "caught" at the scene, and the matter was officially explained as legitimate funds for vehicle purchases on behalf of local governments. It was resolved without charges against Obi or his administration, and no evidence of wrongdoing was substantiated in subsequent investigations or court proceedings.

Background on the Incident

On May 31, 2009, Lagos State Police intercepted a bus carrying six suitcases filled with ₦250 million in cash (in ₦1,000 notes) at the gate of Next International Nigeria Ltd., Obi's private company located at No. 7 Aerodrome Road, Apapa, Lagos. The bus had traveled from the Governor's Lodge in Awka, Anambra State. Obi's aide, Valentine Obienyem (Special Adviser on Communications), and two mobile policemen were in the vehicle.
The police initially suspected arms or ammunition due to the locked suitcases but found only cash after forcing them open. Obienyem was arrested and detained until around 2 a.m. the next day.
Obi flew from Enugu to Lagos that evening (on Dana Airlines flight 9J-1998, departing at 5:04 p.m.) to intervene, reportedly pressuring the Lagos State Police Command for the release of his aide and the funds. The incident occurred at Obi's private office, not a public warehouse, though Apapa is a major port and industrial area often associated with warehousing and logistics.

Official Explanation and Resolution

Obi publicly addressed the matter multiple times, including in press briefings and interviews. He explained that the cash was legitimate and came from cheques issued by the 21 local government chairmen in Anambra State for purchasing vehicles to combat rising insecurity (kidnappings and robberies).

Specifically:
Each local government was to buy two Kia Optima cars for police use and additional vehicles for project monitoring by liaison officers.
A government-vetted car dealer cashed the cheques in Awka and joined Obi's convoy to Lagos to complete the purchase directly from the dealer, avoiding intermediaries and ensuring cost savings—a hallmark of Obi's frugal governance style.
The funds were being transported to the dealer's location in Lagos for the transaction, and the cash form was used because the dealer preferred it for the bulk purchase.
The Anambra State House of Assembly debated the issue in June 2009, with some members (aligned against Obi) demanding probes, while others called it resolved. No formal charges were filed against Obi, Obienyem, or the state government. The police released the money and aide without further action, and Obi described it as a "closed case" in later statements. Tribunals and inquiries (including those referenced by Obi) exonerated him, attributing the transport to administrative efficiency rather than impropriety.

Why the Claim is Misleading
Not "Caught Red Handed": Obi was not in the bus or at the scene; he arrived later to resolve it. The phrase implies personal involvement in a criminal act, which did not occur. Initial police suspicion was procedural (due to the large cash amount and locked boxes), but no illegal activity was confirmed.

No Evidence of Corruption:

Critics, including opposition figures and media like Sahara Reporters and The Nigerian Voice, alleged money laundering to Obi's private company (Next International, involved in trading like orange juice imports). However, these were unsubstantiated opinions from politically motivated sources during Obi's re-election bid. No court or official probe found the funds stolen or misused; they traced back to local government allocations.

@grok

bentenny:
No, the claim that Peter Obi was "caught red handed" ferrying ₦250 million to an Apapa warehouse during his tenure as governor of Anambra State (2006–2014) is a misrepresentation of events from May 2009.

PHIPEX:
Same prof that's fighting Obi from every corner, person wey pass you, pass you

hakeemhakeem:
If you go by this,how many of those corrupted politicians did they caught with physical cash.Government don't purchase items with cash take it or leave it.

hakeemhakeem:
If you go by this,how many of those corrupted politicians did they caught with physical cash.Government don't purchase items with cash take it or leave it.

Burob:
Professor Soludo fighting Obi, because he told u the honest truth about the Apga Judas, turned Political hobo?