Senator Agom Jarigbe is facing intense scrutiny following the new allegations made known to the public by Tracka, that public infrastructure projects in the Cross River North Senatorial District were awarded to a company closely tied to his immediate family.
Tracka has made known into public the procurement records reveal that between May 2023 and September 2024, a total of N637.2 million was paid to Janjari Company Limited. The funds were earmarked for the construction of solar street lights in Nkum Ekajuk and other projects within the senatorial district currently represented by Senator Jarigbe.
Corporate filings for Janjari Company Limited indicate a significant connection to the lawmaker. The company reportedly lists three directors, five shareholders, and one secretary, all of whom share the name Agom Jarigbe.
The organization, therefore made these findings sparked concerns regarding a potential breach of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, which strictly prohibits public officers from leveraging their positions to secure lucrative government contracts for themselves or their immediate family members.
This has therefore raised critical questions about the transparency of the bidding process and whether the projects were subjected to a competitive procurement cycle.
Tracka question is if this project routed through the proper procurement process before the emergence of Senator Jarigbe’s company as the contractor? And for conflict of interest, should this company be the handler of such a project?” observers questioned in a statement tracking the expenditures.
Anti-corruption advocates and civil society groups are now calling for a formal inquiry into the awards. Demands have been directed at several regulatory bodies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), The Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC) among others.
This call for action seeks to determine if the Senator used his influence as the project facilitator to bypass standard regulations. Transparency in the public procurement process remains a central demand as stakeholders await a formal response from Senator Jarigbe’s office regarding these allegations.
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