February 04, (THEWILL) – The award of contracts for the procurement of vehicles under the leadership of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, followed due process and adhered to procurement laws, a prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission told a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Monday.
Salawu Gana, a former official of the CBN’s Procurement Department, testified as the 10th prosecution witness in the EFCC’s case against Emefiele, who is facing a six-count amended charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and breach of trust.
The former CBN governor has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The EFCC alleges that Emefiele abused his position to confer undue advantage on Sa’adatu Ramallan-Yaro, a CBN staff member, by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles valued at N854.7 million to April 1616 Investment Ltd, a firm in which Ramallan-Yaro allegedly holds interests.
However, Gana’s testimony appeared to undermine key elements of the EFCC’s case, as he asserted that the contract was awarded after a competitive bidding process involving RT Briscoe,
Globe Motors, and April 1616 Nigeria Limited. According to him, the Procurement Department rigorously evaluated all submissions, and April 1616 emerged as the preferred bidder due to its competitive pricing.
Under cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), Gana emphasized that the contract documents bore multiple endorsements from at least five officers, with Emefiele’s approval coming only after recommendations from four subordinate officials.
“The contracts went through the proper bidding and evaluation process, and April 1616 was recommended based on merit,” Gana stated.
Reviewing documents marked F1 to F45, Gana confirmed there were no directives or indications instructing the Procurement Department to favor April 1616.
He also reiterated that Emefiele had no personal or financial ties to the company, stating, “Mr. Emefiele is not a director, shareholder, or signatory to April 1616’s bank account.”
Gana further confirmed that the CBN Tenders Board, which Emefiele was not a member of, endorsed the contract recommendation and that April 1616 fulfilled its contractual obligations by supplying the vehicles. Payments were duly processed following the Tenders Board’s approval.
When asked if he had seen any evidence linking funds from April 1616’s accounts to Emefiele, Gana replied, “No.”
The case has been adjourned for further hearing, with legal analysts noting that Gana’s testimony could significantly impact the prosecution’s efforts to establish wrongdoing.
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