By IFIOK UDOM

Akwa Ibom Contractor-Politician Under Scrutiny as Activist Demands 11 Years of Hensek Contract Records

A Freedom of Information request seeking 11 years of government contract records has put the activities of a prominent Akwa Ibom contractor under renewed public scrutiny.

Public affairs commentator Ita Benedict has asked the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Works to disclose details of contracts awarded to Hensek Integrated Services Ltd between January 2015 and August 2026.

The request covers the administrations of former Governor Udom Emmanuel and incumbent Governor Umo Eno.

It seeks not only the names and values of projects awarded to the company but also the procurement processes behind them, subsequent variations, payments and evidence of completion.

At the centre of the inquiry is Hensek’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Uwem Okoko, who also occupies a prominent position in political mobilisation in the state.

An FOI Request with a Wide Scope

Mr. Benedict submitted the request on 31 August to the State Commissioner for Works.

He asked the ministry to provide certified or otherwise verified records for contracts awarded to Hensek during the 11-year period.

The request seeks evidence showing how each contract was procured and whether the required approvals were obtained.

It specifically asks for records of the procurement method used for each project and evidence of approval or a no-objection certificate from the relevant state procurement authority.

The scope extends to tender advertisements, invitations to bid, bidding documents, evaluation criteria and reports, as well as recommendations from relevant tenders boards.

The breadth of the request means that the ministry, if it responds fully, could provide a substantial picture of Hensek’s participation in state-funded infrastructure projects over successive administrations.

Beyond Contract Awards

Mr. Benedict is not asking only how Hensek obtained the contracts.

He also wants to know what happened after the awards.

His request includes executed contracts, bills of quantities, detailed project scopes, contract periods and agreed completion dates.

He also seeks interim evaluation reports, final inspection certificates and termination notices where applicable.

The financial records form another major component.

The activist requested original contract sums, approved variations, scope amendments, price adjustments, revised contract values, payment schedules and interim valuation certificates.

He also wants the total amount actually disbursed for each contract.

Such information could allow the public to compare the initial cost of projects with their eventual financial commitments.

Why the Political Connection Matters

The inquiry has also drawn attention to Mr. Okoko’s political activities.

He is the President-General of the Arise With Renewed Hope Initiative, a political group that has mobilised support in Akwa Ibom for President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Eno and the All Progressives Congress.

Hensek, meanwhile, has worked on government projects under successive administrations in the state.

That combination does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing.

A contractor’s political activity is not proof that a public contract was improperly awarded.

However, the overlap creates a legitimate public-interest question about transparency and safeguards.

Where a major government contractor also plays a visible role in partisan political mobilisation, public access to procurement records becomes particularly important for independent scrutiny.

The Wider Procurement Debate

The FOI request comes against the backdrop of continuing questions about public procurement in Akwa Ibom.

The newspaper cited previous reports concerning efforts by the Eno administration to obtain powers that could permit the award of multi-billion-naira contracts without competitive bidding.

It also reported questions arising from a disclosure involving a contractor who allegedly received a state project without bidding.

Those developments have intensified debate about how public contracts are awarded and monitored in the state.

The present FOI request does not establish that Hensek benefited from improper procurement.

Instead, it seeks records that could allow such questions to be examined objectively.

A Political History Beyond the APC

Mr. Okoko’s involvement in politics also predates the current APC mobilisation structure.

During the Emmanuel administration, he served as coordinator of the Maintain Peace Movement in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area.

The political platform was involved in efforts surrounding political transition and succession ahead of the 2023 elections.

The historical connection is relevant because the requested records cover both the Emmanuel and Eno administrations.

That makes the FOI potentially significant beyond the fortunes of one contractor.

It could enable observers to examine whether Hensek’s government contracting footprint changed between administrations and whether the procurement processes remained consistent.

What the Records Could Establish

If the Ministry of Works releases the requested documents, several questions could move from speculation to evidence.

The records could establish how many contracts Hensek received, their original values and their final costs.

They could show whether projects underwent substantial variations.

They could also reveal the procurement methods used, whether competitive bidding took place and whether required approvals were obtained.

Project completion records could provide another layer of accountability.

A contract may be awarded and paid for without necessarily being completed within the agreed period or scope.

Inspection and completion certificates could therefore help establish whether government received the infrastructure for which it paid.

The Seven-Day Response Question

Mr. Benedict cited Section 24(e) of the 1999 Constitution and the Freedom of Information Act, 2011, as the legal basis for his request.

He asked the ministry to respond within seven working days, as stipulated under Section 4 of the FOI Act, or explain in writing why the information could not be released.

As of the filing of the report, the Ministry of Works had not publicly responded.

The absence of a response leaves the central questions unanswered.

Records Before Conclusions

For now, the most important point is what the available evidence does not establish.

There is no independent evidence presented in the report showing that Hensek violated procurement laws.

There is also no established evidence that Mr. Okoko’s political activities influenced the award of government contracts to his company.

Those questions require documentary evidence.

That is precisely why the FOI request matters.

Rather than relying on political affiliations, assumptions or speculation, the requested procurement records could provide the evidence needed to determine how the contracts were awarded, how much public money was committed and whether the projects were delivered as agreed.

The eventual response from the Ministry of Works could therefore become an important test of transparency in Akwa Ibom’s management of public infrastructure spending.