SUBEB contract scam; Kwara Gov. media aide, Fafoluyi attempts to mislead Kwarans

Editor October 9, 2021 in General Tagged Fafoluyi Olayinka, Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, KWSUBEB, Simisola Fafoluyi, UBEC contract scam - 4 Minutes

By Abdulrasheed Akogun and Ibrahim Sheriff (Gold)

The Special Assistant Media to Kwara State Governor, Fafoluyi Micheal Olayinka popularly known as Solace, through his company, Fidelinfo Ltd has reacted to FRESH INSIGHT report on his opaque and illegal activities but he largely went off the tangent in an apparent effort to mislead the public and arouse sentiments.

In the FRESH INSIGHT opening report on the Kwara State Univesal Basis Education Board (KWSUBEB) corruption exposé series, Fafoluyi was exposed of participating in the contract process of KWSUBEB through a company in which his sister, Simisola Fafoluyi is a Director, signaling the Governor’s media aide used her as a front, thereby contravening extant procurement and ICPC Laws respectively.

Reacting to Fresh Insight’s report through one Oludare Micheal, Olayinka Fafoluyi’s Fidelinfo Ltd said “The attention of the management of Fidelinfo Ltd has been brought to malicious content published by an Ilorin-based online publisher, FRESH INSIGHT TV.

“We wish to state that the content published therein as it relates to Fidelinfo is offensive, false, and an attempt to decimate the brand integrity of our organization.

“We wish to state unequivocally for public record, that Fidelinfo Ltd was neither awarded any contract nor involved in any financial transactions with Kwara SUBEB.

“We urge the editorial team of FRESH INSIGHT TV, to moderate her overzealousness and engage the Governor’s Media aide appropriately, rather than muddle corporate identity with personal issues.

“We hereby ask the management of FRESH INSIGHT TV to withdraw this publication and tender an unreserved apology to Fidelinfo Ltd within seven days or face legal implications of this impropriety” he enthused

THE EVIDENCE BASED FACTS

One, Fafoluyi through his company Fidelinfo Ltd was listed as one of the two hundred (200) successful bidders published by KWSUBEB and released on July 17, 2021. The company was number 35 on the list of the successful bidders for 1st-4th quarters 2014-2019 FGN-UBEC/SUBEB matching grant projects. Showing clearly FidelInfo Ltd had business transactions with the KWSUBEB.

Two, Olayinka Fafoluyi (SA New Media) and his younger Sinmisola Fafoluyi, according to the Corporate Affairs Commission held 900,000 and 100,000 thousand shares in Fidelinfo Ltd respectively. Showing clearly that the Governor’s aide have stake in the ownership of the business and therefore prohibiting the company from taking Kwara state government contracts. Consideration of FidelInfo Ltd as a successful bidder is contrary to Section 8 of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2010, which prohibits gratification by public officials.

Three, Fafoluyi’s Fidelinfo Ltd was registered on July 17, 2020 and thus did not meet the pre-qualification criteria set for the UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects for years 2014-2019 by KWSUBEB, but was listed as one of the ‘successful bidders’ by the Board in flagrance disobedience to Section 34 (1) of Kwara state Procurement Agency Law.

Four, as at the time of the shortlisting (barely 6 months after registration), Fidelinfo Ltd couldn’t have met all KWASUBEB advertised criteria which includes;

a) Evidence of registration of business with Corporate Affairs Commission

b) Equipment and technology capacity with evidence of ownership or lease and VAT registration and evidence of past VAT remittance.

c) Registration with Kwara state Ministry of Works and evidence of registration with KWSUBEB as tender qualification requirements.

d) Tax Clearance Certificate for the immediate past three (3) years (2017, 2018 and 2019)

e) Company Audited Account for the past three (3) years (2017-2019)

f) Evidence of financial capability with Bank supporting reference

g) Experience and technical qualification of key personnel

h) Evidence of performance in similar projects with performance certificate of payment(s)

I) Industrial Training Fund, ITF compliance certificate

j) Evidence of current Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF compliance certificate

k) Evidence of registration on federal contractors, consultants and service providers data base valid till 31st December, 2020.

All of these except two, the company falls short of, as at the time of its application for contract.

Contravention of all these criteria are glaring contravention of Section 34(1) of Kwara State Procurement Agency Law.

Editor

Ibrahim Sheriff is the Editor of Fresh Insight and former Special Assistant on Media to the Speaker, Kwara state House of Assembly. Although a management science researcher by training, he has over five years experience of practice in Journalism, Public Relations and Communication Strategy. Sheriff holds a Masters Degree in Finance and Bachelors Degree in Banking and Finance from Kwara state University, Malete. He has Certificates in Digital Journalism, Enterprise Creation and Skill Acquisition (ECSA) and Basic Econometrics Data Analysis, as well as Bank of Industry (BoI) Certificate in Business Management. He is also a holder of Diploma in Cooperative Studies from Kwara state Polytechnic, Ilorin.

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