The recently appointed National Investment Board Executive Director Dr. Hinga Sandi, former Minister of Trade and Industry, has illegally terminated  a United Nations Development Program funded project that was designed to facilitate the transition of NIB to a one-stop shop.

The terminated contract which was signed between the NIB and Ecofin Consulting firm allowed for among other things an institutional review of the NIB and its merged agencies including audit of credentials of staff of the entity to ascertain their suitability for the job, financial management systems, procurement and subsequent integration of all staff.

The canceled project had been approved by the Board in September 2022, and according to the NIB annual report, the institutional review was the last phase to actualizing a one-stop shop.

According to sources close to the project, prior to Dr. Sandy’s appointment, all necessary procedures were observed by the NIB, including the approval of the procurement of a consultant by the NPPA, design of contract, and its subsequent concurrence by the Solicitor General’s office. The UNDP approved project had a smooth sail before the former head of NIB was replaced quite recently.

In a bizarre twist of events, the newly appointed Executive Director Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy, without consultation with  his supervisors at the Office of the Vice President, terminated the contract without consideration for the legal implications.

According to the contract signed on the 6th of October 2023, the NIB was to pay the Consulting firm 30 percent of the total amount of the funding within five days of signing of the contract and another 30 percent upon submission of an inception report. In addition, there is a sixty day clause for notice of termination of contract, which the NIB did not follow.

Dr. Sandy ignored these aspects of the contract and, upon the advice of his Deputy Ms. Mahawa Sandy and Ms. Michaella George, who happens to be a lawyer, illegally canceled the contract. With lawsuit being threatened by the consulting firm and the UNDP refusing to pay for an illegal termination,  Dr. Sandy has allegedly embarked on damage control by writing a back dated letter to NPPA requesting advice for termination of contract.

Interestingly, Ibrahim Swarray was the NPPA boss when the illegal termination occurred and sources close to Mr. Swarray indicate that NIB never consulted with NPPA before terminating the contract. Now, the fictitious NPPA document has been sent to UNDP to get them to pay for the illegal cancelation.

Sources within the NIB and its constituent agencies say that the Deputy Executive Director of NIB Ms Mahawa Sandy insisted on canceling the contract because the institutional review would have exposed the fact that she has not been able to present any credible evidence that she even has an undergraduate degree. In addition, the sources also claim that Dr. Hinga Sandy’s qualification is in chemistry, and therefore, according to the act, he is ineligible to hold that position.

Furthermore, another accomplice Mr. Joseph Gbonda, according to sources has also not been able to prove that he holds an ACCA certificate as he claims. The NIB annual report clearly shows these Dominion tendencies at NIB. NIB sources claim that those with problems to prove their qualifications were the ones who worked with Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy to illegally terminate the contract.

A possible embarrassment for the state is that should the consultants decide to go to court, there’s possibility that the Chairman of the Board who happens to be President Bio could be required to answer on behalf of the board.