Tenders Board Chair, Delegate bicker over investment projects

The low level of execution of Public Investment Projects in Ndian Division, Southwest Region, has reportedly sparked disagreement between the Chairman of the Tenders Board and the Divisional Delegate of Public Contracts.

While some elites are clamouring for a change of the Delegate, Christo Njita Nchounto, the Tenders Board Chair, Roy Peter Malibah, a Ndian elite, has reportedly petitioned hierarchy to look into the matter.

Going by the content of a petition dated July 10, and signed by the Tenders Board Chairman, Malibah, a copy of which The Post procured; the Delegate is accused of tribalism in the award of contracts to people from particular areas, namely; Tiko, Kupe Muanenguba and the Northwest Region.

Malibah describes the situation as “a direct attack and insult on Ndian people. Support does not simply imply to give him a free hand for illegal and illicit exploitation of the Ndian people at will. This is the provocation that comes with it," Malibah states in the petition.

The Ndian Tenders Board boss, in the petition, explains that when the board points out irregularities, the delegate capitalises on causing their replacement claiming that their mandate has expired.

An Ndian elite who spoke to The Post, but asked not to be named, averred that the major problem remains the low pace at which Government projects in the Division have been implemented since last year. The council official explained that if the Government projects were well implemented as planned, there would have been no cause for outcry in the Division.

Contacted by phone on July 18, the Delegate, Njita Nchounto, told The Post that all the allegations against him and office are false. Njita explained that he sanctioned the Tenders Board Chair for some deviant acts, reason why the later resorted to rallying Ndian elite and called on the press to discredit him.

Njita lamented that the Chairman of the Tenders Board has abandoned local development issues back home and is creating problems on issues that should rather be handled within the Board.

Added to his defence against the Tenders Board Chairman’s complaint is an observation the Delegate made justifying the snail pace of realisation of projects in Ndian. Among the problems enumerated in the document are the vast and rugged terrain, insecurity, high cost of maritime transportation and the attitude of Board members.

Meanwhile, the Ndian people are vexed by the allegation that the Delegate described them as people with low mentality in want of all contracts for public investment projects.

As at July 11, the level of execution of public investment projects in the Division was recorded as nine percent physical realization and 28.62 percent financial execution.

Out of 153 projects in the 2014 Government investment budget, 30 projects have been completed, two are ongoing, 30 awarded, while 61 projects remain at zero percent. All the projects are worth FCFA 1.315 billion.