The Nigeria Progressive Movement (NPM), led by its National President, Mr. James Collins, with Mr. Benjamin Jacob as Secretary, has emerged as a key voice in the growing demand for accountability over alleged financial irregularities surrounding the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).
The controversy follows a NaijaonpointOnline investigation that identified approximately ₦1.04 billion in payments reportedly linked to oil spill response hangar construction, including ₦805.78 million allegedly disbursed to three companies on a single day.
The payment sequence has raised questions about contract administration, procurement transparency and the management of public funds under NOSDRA Director-General, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke.
The Nigeria Progressive Movement’s reported call for Woke’s removal would place the agency’s leadership under further scrutiny. However, the organisation’s specific demand concerning the NOSDRA controversy requires confirmation from its formal statement.
TRACKNEWS INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS ₦1.04BN PAYMENT SEQUENCE
Records examined by NaijaonpointOnline indicate that three companies received a combined ₦229.74 million on December 23, 2024, in payments described as final payments for the construction of oil spill response hangars and associated storage facilities.
The reported beneficiaries were:
Patmag Engineering Nigeria Limited: ₦77.67 million.
Adei and Sons Nigeria Limited: ₦77.56 million.
Ti-Ad Investment and Services Limited: ₦74.51 million.
On April 15, 2025, three other companies reportedly received a combined ₦805.78 million in mobilisation payments for a project bearing a substantially similar description.
The companies were:
Wedgewood Integrated Investment Limited: ₦290.47 million.
Willaf Nigeria Limited: ₦255.60 million.
Ezensha Nigeria Limited: ₦259.70 million.
Together, the six transactions amounted to approximately ₦1.035 billion.
The apparent overlap between the project descriptions and the sequence of final and mobilisation payments raises a fundamental question: Were the companies engaged for separate locations, different phases or distinct contractual obligations?
The payment descriptions alone do not establish that the contracts were duplicated or that public funds were misappropriated. The relevant contract documents, procurement approvals and completion certificates are needed to determine precisely what each payment covered.
QUESTIONS OVER POTENTIAL ₦2.69BN CONTRACT VALUES
The investigation further indicates that if the three April 2025 payments represented exactly 30 per cent of their respective contract values, the implied combined value would be approximately ₦2.69 billion.
These are mathematical estimates based on the reported mobilisation rate, not independently verified contract awards.
The actual contract values, procurement methods and scopes of work should be disclosed to clarify the arrangements.
NPM’S PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY RECORD
The Nigeria Progressive Movement, under President James Collins and Secretary Benjamin Jacob, has previously called for investigations into alleged irregularities in the award of oil blocks by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
In its earlier campaign, the organisation demanded investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) into allegations concerning oil-block awards under NUPRC leadership.
The movement also issued a 14-day ultimatum to the relevant agencies and threatened peaceful protests in Abuja over its demands.
That earlier campaign concerned a separate matter. It does not, by itself, establish that the organisation has issued a formal statement demanding Woke’s removal over the NOSDRA hangar payments.
MORE TRANSACTIONS RAISE ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTIONS
Beyond the hangar-related payments, the Naijaonpointinvestigation identified other substantial transactions requiring documentary clarification.
These include a reported ₦382.7 million final payment to APT Solutions Technologies Limited for geospatial and environmental forensics analysis of artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta.
Other transactions reportedly involved consultancy services, erosion control, office equipment, laboratory supplies, biometric attendance systems, logistics and official travel.
The transactions should be examined individually to establish whether the relevant contracts were properly awarded, the services delivered and the payments authorised in accordance with applicable regulations.
QUESTIONS FOR NOSDRA DIRECTOR-GENERAL CHUKWUEMEKA WOKE
The agency’s management should clarify:
1. Why three companies reportedly received final payments for hangar construction before three other companies received mobilisation payments for a similarly described project.
2. Whether the six companies were engaged for separate locations, phases or contractual obligations.
3. What procurement procedures and approvals supported the awards.
4. What documentation established that the earlier contracts had been completed.
5. What evidence supported the reported ₦382.7 million consultancy payment.
6. Whether NOSDRA will publish the relevant contract awards, payment certificates and completion records.
The questions concern public accountability and do not constitute a finding of criminal wrongdoing against Woke or any of the named companies.
CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY
The reported ₦1.04 billion hangar payment sequence warrants a clear explanation from NOSDRA.
The agency should provide the documentation necessary to establish the relationship between the contracts, demonstrate that the payments were properly authorised and show that the public received the goods and services for which it paid.
If an independent examination establishes procurement or financial irregularities, the appropriate authorities should take action in accordance with the law.
NaijaonpointOnline will continue to investigate the transactions and seek responses from NOSDRA, the named companies and relevant oversight authorities.
EDITORIAL NOTE: The reported demand by the Nigeria Progressive Movement for Woke’s removal should be supported by an official statement from the organisation before being presented as a confirmed position. Its president is Mr. James Collins, and its secretary is Mr. Benjamin Jacob.
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