… Says Figure Represents Original Award Plus Approved Additional Works, Not Duplicate Contract
The Ekiti State Government has dismissed allegations of procurement irregularity in the award of a ₦578.595 million contract for the construction of an e-office and conference hall for the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, in Ado-Ekiti, describing a recent report by SaharaReporters as misleading.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, the government clarified that the ₦578.6 million does not represent a second contract, but the aggregate of the original award and the cost of additional works approved for the project.
According to the government, the project was originally awarded to Doylit Resources Nigeria Limited at ₦443,459,756.25 in December 2025, following due procurement process.
During execution, it was discovered that certain works not captured in the original Bill of Quantities were necessary for project completion. The contractor initially proposed ₦140,010,300.50 for the additional works, but the Bureau reviewed and reduced it to ₦137,135,481.75* based on prevailing market rates.
“The original contract sum of ₦443,459,756.25, together with the approved additional works of ₦137,135,481.75, brings the total project value to approximately ₦578.6 million,” the statement said.
The government stressed that it is incorrect to present the December 2025 award and the August 2026 figure as two separate contracts. It added that the additional works are yet to commence, pending State Executive Council approval, while the main structure has reached an advanced stage.
The Bureau of Public Procurement confirmed that the original procurement complied with the Ekiti State Public Procurement Re-enacted Law, 2020.
Three companies, Kelvinkay Global Nigeria Limited, Dowab Nigeria Limited, and Doylit Resources Nigeria Limited, were invited to submit quotations under selective tendering. Doylit Resources emerged with the most responsive bid.
The recommendation was forwarded to the State Tenders Board and ratified by the State Executive Council before the award letter was issued.
SaharaReporters had linked one of the company’s directors to a serving *Senior Special Assistant to the Governor.
The government responded that “association with a serving political appointee, without evidence of prohibited conduct, does not by itself establish procurement fraud or conflict of interest.”
It noted that the company was incorporated in August 2022, while the individual was appointed in December 2023, arguing that the timeline does not support claims that the company was created to secure government contracts.
The government reiterated its commitment to conflict-of-interest, disclosure, and procurement safeguards.
The statement faulted attempts to use a company’s age as proof of wrongdoing, saying eligibility is determined by technical, financial and legal requirements, not years of incorporation.
It also cautioned against drawing conclusions from entries on the State Open Contracting Portal without examining underlying procurement documents.
“An entry on an open contracting portal, without administrative context, may not tell the complete story of a transaction,” Olatunbosun said, citing the BPP case as an example.
The government expressed concern over what it called a “recurring pattern” in SaharaReporters’ publications on Ekiti, where procurement records are paired with speculative conclusions.
“While we welcome scrutiny, it must be accompanied by fairness, verification and responsible interpretation of available records,” the statement said. It urged the media to seek clarification from relevant authorities before publishing conclusions capable of misleading the public.
The administration of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the statement added, remains committed to transparency and value for money.
Ekiti, it noted, has received national recognition from organizations including BudgIT, PLSI, and GOMEP for fiscal responsibility and open governance.
The government said it has no objection to legitimate questions on public spending, but objects to presenting questions, assumptions, or incomplete interpretations as established evidence of corruption.
It called on SaharaReporters and others with credible evidence of procurement manipulation to submit it to statutory authorities for investigation, pledging full cooperation.
