A coalition of non-governmental-organisation, the
Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), which is a coalition of over
150 anti-corruption organisations, on Thursday asked the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) to investigate the ownership and terms of contract of a
sanitation company, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions, with the Lagos State Government.
The CSNAC in a petition forwarded to the acting Chairman
of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and signed by its Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju,
said its demand has become crucial in view of several allegations of economic
fraud, incompetence and dubious dealings attributable to the said company in
its contract with the Lagos State Government on integrated waste management.
The petition read: "The Lagos State Government
on February 23, 2017, executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) authorising
the creation of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)-the Municipality Waste Management
Contractors Limited-for a major multi-year new integrated waste management
services contract with a 10-year initial duration and giving the company the
mandate to implement the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) through the provision
of vital infrastructure by designing, building and managing the first
engineered sanitary landfill in Nigeria, in addition to the provision of waste
collection, processing and disposal services for residential properties, roads
and highways.
"However, recently, there have been
allegations from several quarters with respect to the several pertinent issues
relating to the contract between the state government and VisionScape, the said
issues are highlighted as follows: ‘There are questions and allegations as to
the real people behind the company, while a facet of Lagosians believe that the
company is a special purpose vehicle by the feudal lords of Lagos to divert
public resources into private holdings. Another allegation bothers on the fact
that the said company exists only in Lagos State and does not have any record
of waste management work/contract executed before the state Governor Akinwumi
Ambode-led government brought it into the state.
‘The allegations further go on to highlight the
fact that until 2017, Visionscape as a company never existed and that its only
existence in Dubai is as posted on the internet and quoted as Tel: +97143501000
50th Floor, Conrad Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE. The said Conrad House
where Visionscape is purportedly located on her 50th Floor, is right in front
of World Trade Centre Metro Station. So, apart from the high-brow location of
VisionScape, nothing in its record shows any evidence of real work/contract
executed in any country’."
CSNAC noted further that "also, the
correspondence address of VisionScape is inconsistent as same is quoted as Suite
E2 2nd Floor, The Octagon, Middlesborough, Colcheste, Essex, United Kingdom,
C01 1TG, and obviously Middlesborough, Colcheste, and Essex are all different
towns and areas in the United Kingdom.
"On the whole, it is alleged that using the
state power, a completely inexperienced, incompetent, untested and dubiously
formed company and monopoly was foisted on Lagosians to oversee the onerous
tasks of waste collections and processing in a city that is the fifth largest
economy in Africa and Nigeria commercial hub.
"With the contract given at almost 20 times
the amount the Lagos State was spending on waste management and three times the
grants given to Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) was approved for VisionScape
with trillions of Lagos State physical assets ceded to VisionScape under very
shady and dubious arrangements. This action has made several thousand of entrepreneurs
and employees to lose their businesses and jobs respectively with some living
under the threat of job loss.
"According to the financial records of the
company, VisionScape, a shell company, formable with less than $20,000 (N7Million)
became a multi trillionnaire at the current state government
dispensation."
The anti-graft network stressed further that
"it is also apposite to state that in spite of the presence of VisionScape
and all the financial and physical resources available to the said Visionscape,
Lagos State has more filth and grime overflowing into her open sewers and
bigger water channels, resulting in blocked drinages which causes massive
flooding in the long run during rainy seasons and thus the company can be said
to be currently running at less than 30 percent efficiency.
"The coming on board of VisionScape has
coincided with a return of trash heaps and dirt across most roads and streets
in Lagos, meanwhile, the state government is paying N1.5 billion monthly to
VisionScape.
"It is also worth noting that several bodies
and agencies, including civil society organisations, have called severally for
the termination of the agreement entered into with VisionScape based on its
terrible performance in waste management of the city of Lagos and the current
crisis it has thrown the waste management sector into.
"This was the opinion of the Environment
Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria Initiative. Also, the Association of
Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAM) popularly known as PSP has denied the
purported partnership deal with Visionscape to rid the state of solid waste.
"It is in view of the above allegations of
fraud, corruption and sharp practices in contracting sensitive projects meant
for the benefit of a large population of Nigerians living in the country
economic hub that we are demanding a thorough investigation into the above
issues to avoid the situation wherein an entire agency or project is pocketed
by a few to the detriment of the entire state."
No comments:
Post a Comment