Former Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State is in hot soup as the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the construction of the Edo Specialist Hospital and supply of equipment for the hospital has indicted him for breach of the state’s Public Procurement Law.

Chairman of the Commission, Justice James Oyomire (rtd), who presented the commission’s findings to Governor Godwin Obaseki, said the award of the contract for the construction of the hospital was fraught with breaches of the state’s procurement laws.

Oyomire revealed that; “The law clearly states that any contractor working on a government project should not receive more than 25 percent upfront payment upon contract award, which Oshiomhole’s administration contravened.”

“The immediate past administration paid 75 percent of the contract sum upfront for the project to Vamed Engineering.”

“Part of the commission’s 8-point recommendation includes that the Ministry of Justice should institute civil and criminal actions against those found culpable in the breach of the law.”

“The recommendations also include the strengthening of the state’s public procurement agency and ensuring strict adherence to the provision of the agency’s law on award of contract.”

Governor Obaseki, while receiving the report, said;

“Anyone found culpable, no matter how highly-placed, would be called to account for their action.”

“We have been putting the right measures in place and if there are resources of government that need to be returned, we will not hesitate to ask for it.”

“Since I came into office, you cannot find this type of breach you have mentioned. If people have to face prosecution, whether civil or criminal, they will have to be prosecuted.”

“When you are given a public trust, so much is expected from you and there is a responsibility to maintain that public trust. We want to build institutions and not individuals because individuals will come and go, but institutions will remain.”

“The people who have the opportunity of rebuilding the system took further steps in destroying the already weakened system. We shall seat down and thoroughly review this report.”