TCN CEO, Abdulaziz Enmeshed In Corruption Scandal

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz has been enmeshed in a corruption scandal.

It was gathered that Abdulaziz had been allegedly involved in violation of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007, in the award of contracts running into billions of Naira, including contract splitting.

According to SaharaReporters, sources stated that most of the contracts awarded by Abdulaziz under emergency procurement were not emergency in nature.

The source added that the TCN boss awarded most of the contracts to his friends, who in turn pulled out the funds and remitted such to him.

He said, “The level of corruption allegedly going on in the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has become enormous. With this level of corruption, it will be impossible for the Nigerians to have any meaningful improvement in electricity.

“For instance, TCN Management, and in particular the current MD/CEO, Engr. Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz is corrupt, and he operates with impunity by violating the Public Procurement Act of 2007 in the award of contracts running into billions of naira. Examples of such are contract splitting to circumvent the Procurement Act and wrong procurement methods in the award of contracts.

“Most of the contracts awarded under emergency procurements are not emergency in nature. The emergency method of procurement is used by the MD to enable him to massively inflate contract prices. These contracts are awarded to his friends, who in turn pull out the fund and remit such to him.

“Under emergency procurement, the Act allows you to carry out the procurement but with the condition that after completion of work, you file a detailed report for retrospective no objection to the Bureau of Public Procurement.”

Another source also alleged that the TCN’s MD awarded the contract for erosion control, line trace maintenance work, bush clearing, tree cutting and erosion control on transmission towers to his cronies.

The source said, “The above does not fall under emergency procurement, yet the MD of TCN has awarded so many contracts running into billions of naira using this method.

“One of such is 33 contracts awarded under emergency with a total sum running into billions of naira and fully paid by TCN for which the Bureau of Public Procurement flagged as mis-procurement.

“Tree cutting and bush clearing do not fall under emergency procurement. Section 43 of the Public Procurement Act defines items that fall under emergency procurement.

“Trees and bushes don’t grow overnight; therefore, the method of procurement for their clearing should be open competitive bidding and not emergency procurement.

“The reason why the current MD/CEO of TCN awarded these contracts under emergency procurement is to inflate the contract prices to enable him to misappropriate funds, and for him to deceive the public and the BPP, he tagged them as ‘Mechanized Line Trace Maintenance work’ which is the same thing as tree cutting and bush clearing.

“TCN lines are patrolled by TCN line’s men on a daily basis and reports are written by them on areas that may require tree cutting and bush. This means that adequate notice was given to the MD/CEO, yet he decided to award them under emergency procurement to misappropriate billions of naira.

“Contract on erosion control for transmission tower means reinforcements of transmission tower. For erosion to threaten a tower, it takes a period of time for it to happen.”

Another source said for every contract awarded under ICB (International Competitive Bidding) or NCB (National Competitive Bidding), the contractor carries out a geophysics test of the soil (soil test) to know its nature before the erection of transmission towers.

“During this period, areas that are prone to erosion are taken into account before commencement of work, and they are included in the award, yet the MD/CEO of TCN awarded the same contracts to his cronies to embezzle funds under the pretence of works under emergency procurement.

“These works have previously been awarded and executed in the first award under ICB/NCB,” he said.