THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has denied reviewing upwards to N16 billion contract allegedly awarded in 2009 for the design and construction of the official residence of the Vice President, and four Presiding officers of the National Assembly.Reports in some media organisations have it that the Senate Committee on the FCT in the course of its on-going oversight functions has uncovered contract scams in the FCT administration.Also, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, sent a petition to the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) requesting a thorough investigation of the source of another media report of an alleged purchase of a '20 million mansion in Vienna, Austria by her Petroleum.The report, which was attributed to an Austria-based newspaper, Heute, failed to provide any photograph as well as payment trail of the said mansion, the petition stated.Reacting in Abuja yesterday, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Nosike Ogbuenyi, said the contract for the construction of the official residence for the VP has not been reviewed and still stands at the original contract sum of N7 billion.He said the contract was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Plc on January 11, 2010 for a period of 20 months at a cost of N7,065,665,742.40 but with actual commencement on February 1, 2010.The NIA is Nigeria's foreign equivalent of the State Security Service (SSS) and is charged with the responsibility of gathering intelligence abroad for government as well as the protection of the country's citizens and other overseas interest.In the petition, which was personally signed by her and copied to the President, Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, and titled: Phantom Allegation by Heute Newspaper, the Petroleum Minister said: 'I write to draw your attention to a recent report published by the Vienna based Heute Newspaper alleging the purchase of a '20 million mansion in an undisclosed location in Vienna by my humble self. The story, which is clearly concocted to portray Nigeria public officials as corrupt and prodigal was scripted as well to denigrate and embarrass the Federal Government of Nigeria.'In the light of the above, it is my wish that you use your good office to cause a detailed investigation of the mischievous story with a view to ascertaining the real motive behind this unwholesome article.' It was gathered yesterday that President Jonathan may have ordered the NIA DG as well as the Nigerian Ambassador to Austria to examine the matter with a view to ascertaining the veracity or otherwise of the said report. It was learnt that the Federal Government may institute legal action in Austria against the publishers of Heute Newspaper once it is established that the report was fabricated to ridicule a Minister of the Federal Republic.'The Presidency is approaching the matter with an open mind. But let us look at this case from the standpoint of common sense. Heute is based in Vienna, which is the location of the said mansion. Yet Heute claims it culled or obtained the report from a Nigerian newspaper, which it has so far refused to name. The question is what stopped Heute from going to the land office or county registry in Vienna to obtain documents and even photographs of the so called mansion' We really need to send a strong warning to these so called foreign tabloids, the source intoned.Just recently, the Jarkata Post published a report stating that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources were billed to sign a multibillion naira deal for the construction of three refineries in Indonesia said to cost $2.68 billion.The report, which was widely circulated online, caused a major stir at home amid denials by the NNPC.A few days later, the Jarkata Post recanted their story and apologised on the front page to the Minister and the NNPC.
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