The Enugu State House of Assembly has been tasked to commission an independent forensic audit of all major contracts awarded since 2023 by Governor Peter Mbah’s administration, particularly examining adherence or otherwise to due process and procurement guidelines.
In a press statement titled “Sujimoto Scandal: Investigate Gov Peter Mbah’s Circumvention of Procurement Laws and Due Process”, the South-East Youths Stakeholders Forum (SEYSF), lamented that the Sujimoto scandal exposes the growing body of financial impropriety by the Mbah administration.
According to him, what happened pointed to a disturbing pattern of abuse of due process, awarding financially unviable contracts, and scapegoating contractors when projects inevitably fail.
“The Enugu State House of Assembly is enjoined to live up to its constitutional role by investigating the Gov. Peter Mbah’s administration as the scandal over the N5.7 billion Smart School contract to Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited points to systemic corruption and contractual manipulation in Enugu government’s dealings with contractors and a deliberate circumvention of procurement laws and due process”, the statement signed by its Executive-Director, Mr. Onyirimba Mazi stated.
The Forum argued that on paper, “Gov Mbah pursues an ambitious development agenda showcasing numerous high-profile projects across the state, but the reality is a disturbing pattern of administrative manipulation, contractual irregularities, and systemic evasion of established procurement guidelines.
“The case of Sujimoto Construction and several other contractors suggests an approach that may be deliberately designed to shift accountability from government failures to private enterprises, while obscuring the government’s own potential violations of due process and lack of financial transparency.”
Citing multiple sources, the Forum alleged that “Gov Mbah has deliberately circumvented the provisions of the Public Procurement Act of 2007 and awarded contracts to his cronies without open competitive bidding and without proper valuation or feasibility studies.
“The Mbah administration has pursued a deliberate centralization of procurement decisions in the Governor’s office thereby creating an environment for financial misappropriation through inflated contracts; Contract awards to cronies and relations; Absence of technical evaluation for contracts and last-minute contract variations
“Indeed, Gov Mbah’s refusal to publish annual audited financial statements further compounds these transparency issues, violating basic principles of fiscal accountability and public trust,” it argued.
Further tackling the Mbah administration on accountability and transparency, the Forum cited several high-value projects, including the revamping of Hotel Presidential and revival of Niger Gas Company Limited and queried the government’s refusal to proffer information relating to Contract award processes; Selection criteria for contractors; Detailed cost breakdowns and payment terms and schedules.
“This lack of transparency suggests that the avoidance of due process may be systemic rather than exceptional in the Mbah administration,” it argued.
The Forum further argued that evidence at its disposal shows that the Mbah administration has created a culture of establishing unrealistic contractual terms, failed to adhere to due process, created conditions for certain failures, and then shifting blame to contractors when problems emerged.
“The case of Sujimoto Construction which illustrates this pattern clearly is not an isolated case.
“Another documented example involves a power supply contractor for electricity supply to Ninth Mile Corner Water Station and evidence suggests it may be part of a broader approach to governance in the state.
“To address these disconcerting developments, we urge the House of Assembly to amongst others urgently inaugurate an ad-hoc Contract Review Committee comprising private sector and civil society representatives to review controversial contracts and recommend fair resolutions.
“To compel the Mbah-led government to immediately resume publishing annual audited financial statements to enable proper public oversight.
“The development of Enugu State requires partnerships with private enterprises, not public vilification and grandstanding by government.
“Only through transparent processes, fair contracting practices, and mutual accountability can the Mbah administration achieve its much-publicized development objectives.
“The current approach of manufacturing failures to hide governmental inadequacies and abuse of due process serves neither the interests of Enugu’s people nor its economic future”, the Forum stressed.
