Vera Nwadinobi, the Chairperson of Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, has rejected any involvement in the alleged N6.7 billion UBEC contract fraud. The scam is said to have been exposed and is currently under investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
There have been reports circulating on social media regarding the alleged N6.7 billion contract fraud, which is said to involve funds designated for UBEC projects in Anambra for 2019, 2020, and 2021.
However, when contacted for a response on Tuesday, Nwadinobi dismissed the allegations, stating that they are untrue and are fabricated claims from individuals opposed to the transformative changes taking place in Anambra.
The reports alleged that the funds were shared among the Chairperson of ASUBEB, in partnership with certain government officials and their associates.
Investigations revealed that the UBEC contracts during this period were given to individuals who did not participate in the technical bidding process of the board.
A source at ASUBEB confirmed that the officials implicated in the alleged fraud have been summoned by the ICPC to clarify their purported involvement in the matter.
The source stated, “Additionally, the anti-corruption agencies, including ICPC and the office of the Anambra State Auditor General, have called in ASUBEB officials for questioning regarding the concerning developments in the contract awards.
“The Executive Chairperson of Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board and certain officials of the ASUBEB have been requested by the ICPC to explain their connection to the scam on Wednesday morning.
The situation caused confusion at ASUBEB as the notice board displaying the 'qualified bidders' list was removed and replaced with another. This occurred during the previous administration, and government officials visited these anti-corruption agencies multiple times.”
The reports also suggested that a new Procurement head was brought to ASUBEB to facilitate the scheme, and this individual is signing the contract award letters for projects he did not oversee and was not involved in the Procurement process.
Documents from ASUBEB indicated that 12 companies were reportedly awarded contracts they did not bid for, and 50 other companies that failed the bidding process were also given projects to execute.
During a phone conversation with our reporter seeking clarification from the ASUBEB chairperson regarding the matter, she dismissed the claims as fabricated lies.
She stated, “These are all fabricated lies. Someone is inventing these stories because they could not align with the positive changes initiated by the governor to improve Anambra and eliminate corrupt practices. They are all made-up stories, none of them are true. Goodbye for now.”
When contacted on Tuesday for information regarding the investigations, the Spokesperson for ICPC, Azuka Ogugua, requested time to conduct her inquiries and provide a response.
When reminded on Wednesday by our correspondent, Ogugua simply said, “During an ongoing investigation, we do not disclose the details. Thank you.”
