An 8.2 kilometer road constructed by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project for the General Overseer’s country home at Ifewara has become a subject of controversy as a construction company, Cartil Construction Company has claimed and collected N151 million from the Federal Government as payment for constructing the road.
Pastor Adeboye and RCCG have therefore approached the Nigerian Senate to investigate the matter with a view to getting Cartil Construction Company to refund the money back to the coffers of the Federal Government.
Already, the Senate has commenced probe of the Federal Ministry of Works for paying the aforesaid construction firm N151m as reimbursement for a road project executed by the man of God and the church.
A Senior Pastor of RCCG, Pastor Niyi Adebanjo, on behalf of RCCG, and Pastor Adeboye submitted a petition to the Senate wherein it was alleged that the ministry officials paid N151m to the management of Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited as part payment for the road project awarded to it but abandoned by the construction company.
Adebanjo submitted the petition and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, referred the document to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
The petition was presented by the Chairman of the committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, on behalf of Lawan, on February 9, 2021.
The RCCG, in the petition, alleged that the construction firm claimed the sum of N151,508,901.22 as reimbursement for the rehabilitation of the Ife-Ifewara Road, Osun State, which the church constructed.
The petition partly reads, “The rehabilitation of the road was awarded as part of the Church’s corporate social responsibility and paid for by Pastor Enoch Adeboye in the sum of N188,440,342 hence the claim by Cartil Construction Nigeria Limited was illegal and unjust.
“The church hereby requests the Senate to look into the matter and, among others, urge the firm to refund the money it collected to the coffers of the Federal Government.”
Speaking before the panel under oath, on Wednesday, Adebanjo said, “Pastor E.A. Adeboye employed the services of the Construction Department of the RCCG to execute the project between August 26, 2016 and 2019 and the total cost was over N188m.
“The project started from Eruwa junction in Ife and Garage Olode in Ifewara, which is 8.2km. We have details of all the seven companies that supplied us with the materials used to execute the project. They delivered all the materials on site. We have supplied details of the projects to the committee.
“While the project was ongoing, authorities of the Nigerian Correctional Service pleaded with Pastor Adeboye to extend the construction to their premises, which was done.
“There are people at Ife and Ifewara who can testify to the fact that Pastor Adeboye constructed the road because he visited the palace, where the Oba appreciated him for constructing the road.
“We were therefore shocked when we found out that somebody was trying to defraud the Nigerian state by claiming money for a project he never executed.