Uncovered! Suswam's Wife, Commissioner connive to defraud Benue of N.5billion

Benue First Lady, Arc. Yemisi Suswam
Plotting to Fleece the state

With barely 69 days to the expiration of Gabriel Suswam's tenure as governor of Benue state, his wife, Arc Yemisi Suswam is alleged to have connived with the state commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Terfa Ihindan to defraud the state of nearly half a billion.

The governor's wife is discovered to have dubiously entered into a pact with the Ministry of Commerce and Industries to lease out the market to one of her companies, All Purpose Shelter Limited to be managed.

The Makurdi International Market which took more than six years to construct will be inaugurated Monday, March 23rd by the state governor. The market is estimated to have cost the Benue state government a whopping N4.9billion.
This deal includes a percentage for the sale of the 1500 market stalls on owner - occupier basis at 4 million naira would rake in N350 million for the outgoing governor's wife and her accomplice. Also, the management of the market complex which is to be on retainership basis if the deal subsists has been pegged at N80million annually.

According to findings, this  last minute craze to fleece the state was struck after the outgoing government failed in the bid to force commissioners and state government appointees to purchase the shops at the exorbitant rate of 20 million per shop  which was also to be handled by the same company. According to our source, the initial arrangement had failed due to the poor financial condition in the ministries, which starved the commissioners of funds from which to purchase these, compelling the government to change in tactics.

A government appointee who was also approached with the proposal, spoke to our reporter on account of anonymity,  and corroborated our findings saying, "I was approached by the first lady who summoned me to her office where I was asked to purchase a shop for my wife to do business at the new ultra modern market. When I protested that I did not have money for such an engagement, she grew furious asking me why I was a commissioner and also calling me an irresponsible husband. She then told me "daddy" had instructed that all of us acquired a shop and our ministries paid the down payment of 10 million while we settled the other half gradually".

Meanwhile, prior to the inauguration of the market, the ministry of commerce had already paid half of the money agreed to the company's account while testing other half will be paid next month. It is however alleged that the payment and the remainder is to be drawn from source at the joint account sitting.

It could  be recalled that All Purpose Shelter Limited,  was involved in a scandal where it built the controversial multi-billion naira Wuye Ultra-Modern Market with 2,000 shopping facility, built on 7.3 hectares of land. This is the only market in the whole of Wuye district, Abuja.  The commissioning of the market by President Goodluck Jonathan drew many condemnations from critics who felt the president who was cajoled by his wife was wrong to commission the project.

Speaking to newsmen at the conference hall of the market on Friday in Makurdi, the State’s Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr Atoza, said the inauguration would be done by the governor on Monday.

The market has a total of 1,500 different category of shops whose prices ranged between N4m and N300,000.

Atoza said the market, which was fireproof, has a police post, banks, and catering services, was among the best in the country.

The commissioner said the market would generate income for both the entrepreneurs and the state as well as create employment for the youths and women.

He said the government did a technical evaluation of the shops and decided to sell them at such low prices to encourage the growth of local businesses, stressing that, “If we were to sell the shops according to their actual worth, each of the shops can go for nothing less than N20million, considering the cost of land, quality of building materials, the publicity, water, electricity and other facilities here in the market.

” But we decided to give them out at such prices to encourage the growth of our indigenous businesses, we deliberately avoided selling the shops in block for that same reason. We had offered to sell the whole market to single companies but we resisted the temptation and opted for this arrangement where individuals are buying units,” he said.

In addition, the commissioner said, the payment would be based on owner occupier to enable shop owners stagger payment over a period of five years, after an initial deposit. To confirm our fears, Atoza said the management of the market would be in the hands of private entrepreneurs in line with best practices to ensure profitability.