A Group under the auspices of Joint Youth Progressive Alliance, (JYPA) has exposed the monumental fraud going on at the National Inland Waterways Authority, (NIWA) in which some concerned Nigerians has raised alarm, calling on the Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo led Lagos State Government to address the situation in earnest.
It is being alleged that a concerned Boat Operator had presented the viability of operations ferry service from Mende to other areas of Lagos to the administration of former Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, which was under reviewed before he left the saddle.
As the Governor Sanwo Olu came on board, he awarded the channelization project, in which the Concerned Boat Operator was neglected and denied the Contract.
Rather, the Contract was awarded to a small Dredging Company with little or no experience. It was gathered that the company was used as a conduit pipe to milk Lagos State, by doing next to nothing, after the Contract was awarded to it.
It was alleged by the Group that the Commissioner of Waterways In Lagos State, Kabiru Ahmed Abdullahi had deceived Governor Sanwo Olu in believing that the Company was capable of handling such enormous task by awarding the contract to one of his proxies who has been doing a shoddy job, with feelers from different quarters that the Commissioner and the Contractor both share the sum of N5 Billion awarded for the contract.
The Group in a Statement through its Publicity Secretary, Moshood Obafemi is however condemning this action in its entirety, stressing that it is very unfortunate that NIWA that is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the waterways is looking the other way and allowing an inexperienced contractor to handle such a massive project.
It added that this level of fraudulent activities should not be allowed in Lagos State especially this time when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu whose mantra is no to corruption and fraudulent practices is at the helms of affairs of the country, likewise Governor Sanwo Olu, who has zero tolerance to corruption.
The Group is urging the Lagos State Governor to set up a committee to investigate this anomalies happening in NIWA and in the Ministry of Waterways in earnest.
