A serving member of the 10th National Assembly, Hon. Dabo Ismaila Haruna, has been fingered in an alleged contract scam, reportedly using his private company to secure government payouts in clear violation of Nigerian laws.
Haruna, who represents the Toro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, was exposed by data mined from Govspend, an open-source portal designed to track federal government expenditures.
Investigations reveal that despite swearing an oath of office in 2023, the lawmaker has illegally retained his position as a director at Lafhim Corporate Services Limited. Through this corporate front, the honourable member has allegedly been involved in white-collar sharp practices, cornering government contracts valued at over N200 million.
A Trail of Millions
A deep dive into the financial records on the government portal shows a steady stream of lucrative payouts made to the lawmaker’s company across several years and ministries.
For instance, on the 19th of December 2019, the Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute in Ilorin disbursed ₦41,067,450 to the company for a “strategic empowerment and training” programme in Shani Federal Constituency, Borno State.
Curiously, on that exact same day, another tranche of ₦41,141,700 left the institute’s coffers, landing in the accounts of Lafhim Corporate Services Ltd. This second payment was purportedly for agricultural training and the supply of farming tools targeting women and youths in Mafa, Maiduguri, and Kaga areas of Borno.
The financial windfalls continued into subsequent years. On the 7th of April 2021, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) awarded the firm ₦34,142,051.65 to renovate the Argungu General Hospital in Kebbi State.
The following year, on January 26, 2022, the Federal College of Produce Inspection and Stored Products Technology in Kano paid out ₦30,620,930.23 to the same company for empowerment supplies across the volatile regions of Chibok, Damboa, and Gwoza.
A few months later, on October 25, 2022, the Federal Ministry of Health released ₦11,013,090 to the firm as final payment for furnishing the Yobe State Women and Children Hospital in Damaturu.
Corporate Profile and Legal Breach
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) details show that Lafhim Corporate Services Ltd (RC 1314860) was incorporated on February 11, 2016, with its registered address at No. 13 Bola Ajibola Crescent, Katampe Extension, Abuja. While it has raked in millions in federal contracts, its current operational status remains unclear.
The lawmaker’s continued directorship of the firm is a direct contravention of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal (CCBT) Act. Under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, public office holders and full-time civil servants are strictly barred from running, directing, or managing private businesses while in active service. The only exception granted by the constitution is for public officers engaged in farming.
Source: Secrets Reporters
