Feeding a stray cat robust meal is clearly an invitation for the cat to return for more and to hire an incompetent perambulator creates a dependency syndrome. Alas, allegations have become rampant among athletes in respect of the Ministry of Sports (Youth & Sports) re-hiring of the duo comprising Angie Taylor and Eric Campbell that did nothing required by the previous illegal contract worth over N500million awarded by the NSC contrary to the sections 24-27 Public Procurement Act 2007. The athletes and Nigerians demand the return of such humongous payment to the duo for doing nothing and the past leaders of NSC who awarded the contract to be probed immediately. It is rather difficult not to comment on athletes’ concerns on this issue without being called all sort of names in a politically charged environment.
In a much celebrated signing of the duo by Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi (former Minister) and Mr. Elegbeleye (former Director General) the country’s citizens were not made aware that no due process was followed, but few individuals complained. The previous Federal legislators and the Executives disregarded the complaint and here we are now. This will be a goldmine of legal challenges and quite frankly, career ending action that can be avoided. In as much as this writer is a Master of Commercial law, he simply will advise the Minister of Sports don’t do it and if already done cancel it as the risk is too great in an era where corruption is frowned upon and mere allegations becomes the foundation of career truncation.
Quality of Eric Campbell and Angie Taylor
Eric Campbell was let go by the Saudi Arabia Sports Ministry for not producing athletes as contractually obligated and upon his arrival in Nigeria, he practically was free housed in Abuja without an office or athlete to coach at any facility, but his $10,000 salary per month exceeded even any current Nigeria’s Minister along with comparable allowances plus free housing, car, chauffeur, etc. Eric Campbell never successfully-coached any Nigerian athlete or developed any athlete in / for Nigeria or even Saudi Arabia despite collecting huge salaries from both countries.
Angie Taylor on the other hand, pocketed $15,000 salary per month without any services in return, but more compelling is the doubling of the Minister’s salary that she earned per month along with comparable benefits that troubled Nigerians when austere measures were everywhere. Ms. Taylor has yet to produce a single athlete for any country and the question is, how could she or Eric Campbell could have been hired in the first place by Mr. Abdullahi? Unfortunately, without a rigorous procurement or bid process, these individuals’ background will remain shrouded in secrecy.
The Procurement Act says:
24.- ( I) Except as provided by this Act, all procurements of goods and works Open by all procuring entities shall be conducted by open competitive bidding. Competitive bidding,
Any reference to open competitive bidding in this Act means the process by which a procuring entity based on previously defined criteria, effects public procurements by offering to every interested bidder. equal simultaneous information and opportunity to offer the goods and works needed.
The winning bid shall be that which is the lowest evaluated responsive bid which has been responsive to the bid with regards to work specification and standard.
Mr. Abdullahi had never arrested his mind to the requirement of Public Procurement Act in the hiring of Angie Taylor and Eric Campbell and others, therefore, that previous contract was illegal and the Federal Government must begin the process of recovering the entire sum because these individuals did not perform anything substantial concerning the illegal contract.
The big question is, why would anyone suggest that Minister Dalung is entertaining signing the duo to any contract without an open bid in accordance section 24 of the Act? This writer says, let it remain a rumour.
I rest
Dr. Rashid A. Balogun, CPA, LLB(Hons.), LLM(London)
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