TheCable

Dakuku Peterside, director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has admitted that the agency awarded a new contract.

He explained that the contract is different from the one formerly supervised by Government Ekpemupolo, a former militant leader better known as Tompolo.

THISDAY had reported how a deal to recover debts and surveillance was awarded to a company owned by Davies Akanya, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Global West Vessel Specialists Nigeria Limited (GWVSNL) owned by Tompolo was in charge of it until it was canceled by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Though the name of the company given by Peterside corresponded with the one reported by the newspaper, he denied that Akanya owned the organisation.

“We have awarded a debt recovery contract which is totally different from what Global West was doing for NIMASA,” he said.

“The contract was not awarded to the chairman of the APC in Rivers state. It was awarded to Snecou Nigeria Limited and we advertised the contract in several newspapers. So I don’t see what is wrong with awarding a contract to get our money from debtors.”

The agency said the contract was awarded in a hurry, explaining that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) gave it approval.

NIMASA said the deal was advertised in the newspapers.

“In a bid to shore up its revenue amid the nation’s dwindling economy, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has appointed Snecou Financial Services Company Limited to assist in revenue generation,” Lami Tumaka, spokeswoman of NIMASA, said in a statement.

“The contract which also has the company serving as a recovery agent for debts owed the agency is for a period of two years in the first instance with an option for renewal.

“The approval for this contract was recently granted by the parastatals tenders board (PTB) of the agency at its 55th session which held in the agency’s head office in Lagos.

“Given the urgent need to recover the agency’s debts which is in billions of naira, the agency sought and obtained approval for a ‘Certificate of No Objection’ from the Bureau of Public Procurement in line with the Public Procurement Act (PPA).

“According to the contractual agreement already endorsed by both parties, the contract is based on a success rate of 13 percent using a benchmark of $19,753,012.36 and N239,607,155.52 monthly revenue while a maximum cap of 15 percent success rate is payable on any new revenue head discovered  by the consultants within the contract period.

“In other words, Snecou Financial Services Company Limited will be paid 13% of only the revenue that is above the threshold of the approved benchmark in the course of the contracting period.

“Similarly, Messrs Snecou will also be entitled to a maximum of 15% of new revenue streams discovered during the period.

“This is in line with the vision of the Director General, Dr. Dakuku Peterside which is in accordance with the Agency’s Medium Term Strategic Growth Plan, part of which is to enhance the Agency’s revenue.”