The Anambra State Government has taken notice of a misleading report published by Sahara Reporters online, alleging impropriety in the award of a contract for the construction of gates at General Hospital, Okpoko and Specialist Hospital, Fegge, to Crystal Dove Construction Company Ltd.
In a statement issued by the state’s commissioner for information, Law Mefor, the Government clarified that the contract sum was not N229 million as claimed by Sahara Reporters, but instead N123,217,218.82. This figure is verifiable on the official e-portal managed by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
“The procurement process for the contract was conducted in accordance with due process, with the BPP and Ministry of Health playing their roles in ensuring transparency and accountability. The contractor was duly mobilised and executed the job,” he stated.
Mefor said the state government notes with disappointment that Sahara Reporters failed to verify the facts before publishing the article, despite the clear information available on the BPP’s e-portal. This raises questions about the motivations behind the publication.
“The Anambra State Government, under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, remains committed to transparency and accountability in the management of public funds. Every penny of taxpayer money is spent with utmost diligence and in accordance with due process,” Mefor affirmed.
“We therefore categorically debunk the claims by Sahara Reporters as baseless and misleading,” the commissioner added