A massive contract scandal has rocked the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC) in Imiringi, Bayelsa State, following revelations that a multi-million naira classroom project was funded to near completion but ultimately abandoned. Investigations into the project reveal a disturbing pattern of financial mismanagement, leaving students without the promised educational facilities despite the near-total release of contract funds.
Records indicate that the construction of a six-classroom block at the institution was initiated in 2017 with a total contract value of ₦33,556,691.70. Documentation confirms that the contractor involved received a total of ₦32,160,779.27—an amount representing 95 percent of the total project sum—before the site was deserted. Years after the funds were disbursed, the building remains a skeletal, uncompleted structure, with the school administration providing no clarification regarding the status of the project or the whereabouts of the contractor.
The classroom block was sanctioned under the oversight of the Federal Ministry of Education during the tenure of former Minister Adamu Adamu. The project was officially launched following a public tender invitation issued by the college in July 2017, which sought contractors for various infrastructure developments within the school.
Legal experts and policy analysts have pointed out that this transaction appears to be a flagrant violation of the Public Procurement Act and the 2009 Financial Regulations. Under existing Nigerian law, government agencies are strictly mandated to ensure that disbursements to contractors are strictly tied to documented progress on-site. Furthermore, the law requires that all advance payments be adequately secured and that public officials remain fully accountable for the utilization of appropriated capital.
By releasing 95 percent of the funds without the corresponding delivery of structural work, the management at the time effectively bypassed critical oversight mechanisms. This failure has resulted in significant losses for the federal government and has deprived Bayelsa students of necessary classroom space that was intended to be funded by scarce public resources.
The situation at FGGC Imiringi is emblematic of a wider, systemic issue within the federal education sector, where capital projects are frequently marked by premature payments and a lack of project verification. Despite repeated warnings from auditors regarding the risks associated with such fiscal indiscipline, accountability remains largely elusive, leaving taxpayers to bear the cost of abandoned projects that yield no public benefit.
Source: NaijaProbe