Incompetent Companies Awarded N1.78 Billion Contracts By FAAN – Secrets Reporters Nigeria

Secrets Reporters

An audit of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has raised questions over the award of contracts worth N1,781,392,086.57 to companies that, according to the audit findings, did not demonstrate the financial capacity required to execute the contracts.

The audit specifically questioned FAAN’s compliance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007, particularly Section 16(6)(a)(ii), which requires bidders participating in public procurement processes to possess the financial capability to undertake the contracts for which they are bidding.

According to the audit report, a review of sampled contract files revealed that several companies were awarded contracts for the supply of equipment, agricultural machinery and airport security systems despite concerns over their financial capacity.

The audit identified PIN TAP Nigeria Limited, BUCAFE Concepts Project Limited, and Polar Business Solution Limited among the companies whose contract files were reviewed.

PIN TAP Nigeria Limited was reportedly awarded a contract for the purchase and supply of computers, laptops and other items intended for use in Abuja, Kano, Jos, Kaduna and Zaria.

BUCAFE Concepts Project Limited, on the other hand, was awarded a contract for the supply of two tractors, two slashers and grass management tools.

Another company, Polar Business Solution Limited, was awarded a contract for the supply and installation of two sets of complete high capacity passenger security screening systems for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

However, the audit team said its review of the companies’ tax clearance certificates raised questions about whether the firms possessed the financial strength necessary to execute contracts of such magnitude.

The auditors stated that the companies’ turnover, based on the documents reviewed, was not up to 50 percent of the contract sum, a situation which the audit said indicated a lack of the financial capacity required under the procurement rules.

The finding becomes particularly significant because financial capability is one of the safeguards built into public procurement. The requirement is intended to ensure that companies awarded government contracts have sufficient resources, experience and financial strength to deliver the goods or services for which they are being paid.

Where a contractor lacks the financial capacity to undertake a major government contract, the risk is that the project could suffer delays, poor execution, abandonment or additional costs to the government.

The audit report therefore concluded that the awards were contrary to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, particularly the requirement that bidders must demonstrate financial capability.

One of the most striking pieces of evidence contained in the audit relates to the tax clearance certificate of PIN TAP NIG LTD.

A screenshot of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) tax clearance validation portal included in the audit report showed that the company’s certificate was issued by the MSTO Surulere office on March 23, 2022, and had an expiry date of December 31, 2022.

More importantly, the tax information displayed for the company showed revenue of N0.00 for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 assessment years.

The information raises questions about how a company showing zero revenue for three consecutive assessment years could demonstrate the financial capacity expected of a contractor handling a government procurement assignment involving the supply of computers, laptops and other equipment across several major cities.

The audit did not establish from the evidence provided that the company committed fraud, nor does the finding by itself prove that the contract was not executed. Rather, the central concern raised by the auditors was whether the procurement process properly established the contractor’s financial capacity before the contract was awarded.

That distinction is important because the procurement requirement exists precisely to ensure that government agencies conduct adequate due diligence before committing public funds.

The audit also identified broader risks associated with the procurement process.

Among the risks listed was the possibility that companies could serve as “cronies of Management” and potentially be used for the improper withdrawal of government funds. The audit presented this as a risk arising from the procurement weakness, rather than as a definitive finding that the companies identified were cronies of FAAN management.

The auditors also warned that the absence of proper due diligence, prudence and economy in the disbursement of public funds could occur when contracts are awarded without adequate verification of contractors’ capacity.

Another risk identified was the possibility of substandard work and the use of unqualified personnel.

These risks are particularly important in the case of airport infrastructure and security equipment. The contract involving passenger screening systems, for instance, relates directly to airport security infrastructure at two of Nigeria’s busiest international airports.

Any failure to properly install, maintain or operate such systems could have consequences beyond financial losses, potentially affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of airport security operations.

Similarly, contracts involving agricultural and grass management equipment at airport facilities require contractors capable of supplying the required machinery and supporting their proper deployment.

The audit’s concerns therefore go beyond the question of whether a company has won a contract. They touch on whether FAAN adequately established that the companies it selected were capable of delivering value for the public money committed to the contracts.

The auditors recommended that FAAN management should provide reasons for awarding contracts to an unqualified company despite the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

The recommendation places the responsibility on FAAN management to explain the circumstances surrounding the procurement decisions and demonstrate how the affected contractors were considered eligible despite the concerns identified in the audit.

The findings also raise questions about the effectiveness of internal controls within FAAN’s procurement process. A robust procurement system should ordinarily screen bidders before contracts are awarded, including examining their financial records, tax documentation, technical capacity and previous performance.

If a bidder’s financial documents clearly indicate limited or no reported revenue, the agency would be expected to scrutinise the bidder’s capacity before committing significant public funds.

The N1.78 billion figure attached to the audit issue makes the matter even more significant. Public procurement at this scale requires strict adherence to transparency, competition, accountability and value for money principles.

The audit’s findings suggest that weaknesses in the process may have exposed FAAN to unnecessary financial and operational risks.

For an agency responsible for managing Nigeria’s airports, procurement failures can also have wider implications. Contracts involving airport facilities, equipment and security systems require not only financial accountability but also technical competence and reliability.

The audit has therefore put the spotlight on how FAAN evaluated contractors before awarding the contracts and whether the agency complied fully with the procurement requirements governing financial capability.

Until FAAN management provides its response and supporting documentation, the audit finding remains an issue requiring clarification rather than a final determination of wrongdoing.

However, the evidence presented by the auditors including the FIRS record showing zero reported revenue for PIN TAP Nigeria Limited in 2019, 2020 and 2021 raises a fundamental accountability question: how did a company with such financial records satisfy the requirement to demonstrate the capacity to undertake a government contract?

Government contracts are ultimately financed with public resources, and procurement rules are designed to prevent those resources from being committed to contractors who cannot demonstrate the capacity to deliver.

The audit has now placed the burden on FAAN management to explain the procurement decisions, demonstrate that due process was followed and account for how the contracts worth N1,781,392,086.57 were awarded despite the financial capacity concerns identified by the auditors.

Until those questions are adequately answered, the audit finding leaves a significant cloud over the procurement process and raises concerns about whether FAAN obtained the level of due diligence and value for money expected in the management of public funds.

An audit of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has raised questions over the award of contracts worth N1,781,392,086.57 to companies that, according to the audit findings, did not demonstrate the financial capacity required to execute the contracts.

The audit specifically questioned FAAN’s compliance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007, particularly Section 16(6)(a)(ii), which requires bidders participating in public procurement processes to possess the financial capability to undertake the contracts for which they are bidding.

According to the audit report, a review of sampled contract files revealed that several companies were awarded contracts for the supply of equipment, agricultural machinery and airport security systems despite concerns over their financial capacity.

The audit identified PIN TAP Nigeria Limited, BUCAFE Concepts Project Limited, and Polar Business Solution Limited among the companies whose contract files were reviewed.

PIN TAP Nigeria Limited was reportedly awarded a contract for the purchase and supply of computers, laptops and other items intended for use in Abuja, Kano, Jos, Kaduna and Zaria.

BUCAFE Concepts Project Limited, on the other hand, was awarded a contract for the supply of two tractors, two slashers and grass management tools.

Another company, Polar Business Solution Limited, was awarded a contract for the supply and installation of two sets of complete high capacity passenger security screening systems for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

However, the audit team said its review of the companies’ tax clearance certificates raised questions about whether the firms possessed the financial strength necessary to execute contracts of such magnitude.

The auditors stated that the companies’ turnover, based on the documents reviewed, was not up to 50 percent of the contract sum, a situation which the audit said indicated a lack of the financial capacity required under the procurement rules.

The finding becomes particularly significant because financial capability is one of the safeguards built into public procurement. The requirement is intended to ensure that companies awarded government contracts have sufficient resources, experience and financial strength to deliver the goods or services for which they are being paid.

Where a contractor lacks the financial capacity to undertake a major government contract, the risk is that the project could suffer delays, poor execution, abandonment or additional costs to the government.

The audit report therefore concluded that the awards were contrary to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, particularly the requirement that bidders must demonstrate financial capability.

One of the most striking pieces of evidence contained in the audit relates to the tax clearance certificate of PIN TAP NIG LTD.

A screenshot of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) tax clearance validation portal included in the audit report showed that the company’s certificate was issued by the MSTO Surulere office on March 23, 2022, and had an expiry date of December 31, 2022.

More importantly, the tax information displayed for the company showed revenue of N0.00 for the 2019, 2020 and 2021 assessment years.

The information raises questions about how a company showing zero revenue for three consecutive assessment years could demonstrate the financial capacity expected of a contractor handling a government procurement assignment involving the supply of computers, laptops and other equipment across several major cities.

The audit did not establish from the evidence provided that the company committed fraud, nor does the finding by itself prove that the contract was not executed. Rather, the central concern raised by the auditors was whether the procurement process properly established the contractor’s financial capacity before the contract was awarded.

That distinction is important because the procurement requirement exists precisely to ensure that government agencies conduct adequate due diligence before committing public funds.

The audit also identified broader risks associated with the procurement process.

Among the risks listed was the possibility that companies could serve as “cronies of Management” and potentially be used for the improper withdrawal of government funds. The audit presented this as a risk arising from the procurement weakness, rather than as a definitive finding that the companies identified were cronies of FAAN management.

The auditors also warned that the absence of proper due diligence, prudence and economy in the disbursement of public funds could occur when contracts are awarded without adequate verification of contractors’ capacity.

Another risk identified was the possibility of substandard work and the use of unqualified personnel.

These risks are particularly important in the case of airport infrastructure and security equipment. The contract involving passenger screening systems, for instance, relates directly to airport security infrastructure at two of Nigeria’s busiest international airports.

Any failure to properly install, maintain or operate such systems could have consequences beyond financial losses, potentially affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of airport security operations.

Similarly, contracts involving agricultural and grass management equipment at airport facilities require contractors capable of supplying the required machinery and supporting their proper deployment.

The audit’s concerns therefore go beyond the question of whether a company has won a contract. They touch on whether FAAN adequately established that the companies it selected were capable of delivering value for the public money committed to the contracts.

The auditors recommended that FAAN management should provide reasons for awarding contracts to an unqualified company despite the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

The recommendation places the responsibility on FAAN management to explain the circumstances surrounding the procurement decisions and demonstrate how the affected contractors were considered eligible despite the concerns identified in the audit.

The findings also raise questions about the effectiveness of internal controls within FAAN’s procurement process. A robust procurement system should ordinarily screen bidders before contracts are awarded, including examining their financial records, tax documentation, technical capacity and previous performance.

If a bidder’s financial documents clearly indicate limited or no reported revenue, the agency would be expected to scrutinise the bidder’s capacity before committing significant public funds.

The N1.78 billion figure attached to the audit issue makes the matter even more significant. Public procurement at this scale requires strict adherence to transparency, competition, accountability and value for money principles.

The audit’s findings suggest that weaknesses in the process may have exposed FAAN to unnecessary financial and operational risks.

For an agency responsible for managing Nigeria’s airports, procurement failures can also have wider implications. Contracts involving airport facilities, equipment and security systems require not only financial accountability but also technical competence and reliability.

The audit has therefore put the spotlight on how FAAN evaluated contractors before awarding the contracts and whether the agency complied fully with the procurement requirements governing financial capability.

Until FAAN management provides its response and supporting documentation, the audit finding remains an issue requiring clarification rather than a final determination of wrongdoing.

However, the evidence presented by the auditors including the FIRS record showing zero reported revenue for PIN TAP Nigeria Limited in 2019, 2020 and 2021 raises a fundamental accountability question: how did a company with such financial records satisfy the requirement to demonstrate the capacity to undertake a government contract?

Government contracts are ultimately financed with public resources, and procurement rules are designed to prevent those resources from being committed to contractors who cannot demonstrate the capacity to deliver.

The audit has now placed the burden on FAAN management to explain the procurement decisions, demonstrate that due process was followed and account for how the contracts worth N1,781,392,086.57 were awarded despite the financial capacity concerns identified by the auditors.

Until those questions are adequately answered, the audit finding leaves a significant cloud over the procurement process and raises concerns about whether FAAN obtained the level of due diligence and value for money expected in the management of public funds.