A public affairs commentator, Ita Benedict, has asked the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Works to disclose details of all contracts awarded to Hensek Integrated Services Ltd by the state government between January 2015 and August 2026.
Mr Benedict made the request in a Freedom of Information application dated 31 August and addressed to the State Commissioner for Works.
He requested certified or verified records covering contracts awarded to Hensek during the period, including procurement documents, contract sums, variations, payments and completion certificates.
The request comes amid questions over public procurement in Akwa Ibom and the intersection between government contracting and the political activities of Hensek’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Uwem Okoko.
Mr Okoko is also the President-General of the Arise With Renewed Hope Initiative, a political group mobilising support in Akwa Ibom for President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Umo Eno and the All Progressives Congress.
Details Of The Request
Mr Benedict asked the Ministry of Works to provide records showing the procurement method used for each contract, including evidence of approval or a no-objection certificate from the relevant state procurement authority.
He also requested advertisements or invitations to tender, bidding documents, technical and financial evaluation criteria, bid evaluation reports and recommendations from the relevant tenders board.
Other documents sought include letters of award, executed contracts, bills of quantities, detailed scopes of work, contract durations and agreed completion dates.
The request also covers project completion records, including interim evaluation reports, final inspection certificates and notices of termination where applicable.
Mr Benedict wants details of original contract sums, approved variations, scope amendments, price adjustments, revisions to contract values, payment schedules, interim valuation certificates and the total amount disbursed for each contract.
He cited Section 24(e) of the 1999 Constitution and the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, as the legal basis for the request.
He asked the ministry to respond within seven working days, as stipulated under Section 4 of the FOI Act, or provide written reasons for any refusal to disclose the information.
Hensek And Political Mobilisation
The FOI request has renewed attention on Mr Okoko, who combines his position as a major public works contractor with a prominent role in political mobilisation in the state.
The Arise With Renewed Hope Initiative has been involved in mobilising support for Mr Tinubu, Mr Akpabio and Mr Eno, as well as the APC in Akwa Ibom.
The convergence of public contracting and political mobilisation raises questions about transparency and safeguards in the award and management of public contracts involving politically active contractors.
Hensek has worked with successive administrations in Akwa Ibom, including the administration of former Governor Udom Emmanuel and the current administration of Mr Eno.
Mr Okoko’s political activities predate his current role in the APC mobilisation structure. During Mr Emmanuel’s administration, he served as coordinator of the Maintain Peace Movement in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, a political platform involved in facilitating political transition and succession ahead of the 2023 elections.
The requested records cover both the Emmanuel and Eno administrations and could allow comparisons of Hensek’s government contracts under the two administrations.
If released, the documents could show the scale and value of Hensek’s involvement in state-funded infrastructure projects, how contracts were procured, changes in contract values and whether projects were completed within agreed timelines.
The records could also help determine whether procurement procedures were consistently followed across the administrations.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ministry of Works had not publicly responded to the FOI request.
There is no independent evidence from the available information establishing that any contract awarded to Hensek violated procurement laws or that Mr Okoko’s political activities influenced any government contract award.
The FOI request is seeking official records that could help establish the facts.
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