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the bribing of Nigeria by julius berger

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The law that forbids Nigerian public officials from accepting gifts of any kind from individuals or corporations has mostly been observed in the breach by our public officials. Obviously, the trend has continued unabated. These illegal inducements, in cash and kind, have been both substantial and oftentimes merely token.  
For instance, sometime in 2002 or 2003, South Africa’s GSM giant, MTN, gave free air time to members of the House of Representatives. There was uproar from Nigerians and MTN quickly withdrew from such flagrant, albeit token, bribing of top government officials. Mike Adenuga and his Globacom group also gave SIM cards to members of the Obasanjo administration, according to a pivotal member of the administration. Globacom is also known to give free phones, air time minutes to journalists and prominent columnists.

A cursory glance at the asset declaration documents of Nigeria’s public officials at the Code of Conduct Bureau shows that they openly admit to having accepted gifts valued sometimes in millions of naira. Cash, cars, buildings, plots of land, prime blue-chip stocks, and apparel gifts have remained some of the commonest forms of bribery, in Nigeria, to public officials. Bigger corporations, even those founded by Nigerians, have offered private jets, plane tickets, holiday trips, and jewelry to top government functionaries and members of their families. Recently a top official of the Spanish embassy took three state governors to holiday in Las Palmas.

Even Pres. Musa Umar Yar’Adua, as the governor of Katsina State accepted gifts valued at millions of naira. In his asset declaration form, he had five cars when he became the governor of Katsina State. Now as President, Yar’Adua has 31 cars. He claims the cars are mostly campaign gifts. Pres. Olusegun Obasanjo did the same thing. Obasanjo accepted gifts of farms and houses, including one built for him in Port Harcourt by former governor Peter Odili. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babagana Kingibe accepted gifts of plots of land worth millions of naira. Jonathan Goodluck also accepted gifts, during his tenure as deputy governor and later, governor of Bayelsa State, valued in the millions.

Tam David-West, a former petroleum minister under the Babangida administration is the only prominent Nigerian and serving cabinet member to have been jailed for accepting gifts. He was jailed for having tea and accepting a gift of wrist watch from Stinnes, a French company involved in petroleum transportation business. Ironically, Ibrahim Babangida, the head of the government that jailed Tam David-West also received uncountable gifts of houses and cars from corporations, including Julius Berger Plc.

The recent scandal involving Siemens and the bribery of Nigerian government officials has focused attention on other multinational companies doing business in Nigeria. One of those companies is Julius Berger Plc, a hitherto obscure company from Germany which has struck it big as the foremost civil engineering company in Nigeria.

Messrs Julius Berger came into Nigeria about 40 years ago. Berger started its operations in Lagos, and constructed a lot of roads in Lagos when Mobolaji Johnson was the governor of Lagos State. During the port congestion debacle of the 70’s, Julius Berger was hired to help in decongesting the ports.

As a result of the indigenization policy of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Lagos and Plateau State governments bought substantial shares in Julius Berger. One Adewale, who was a commissioner in the Johnson government in Lagos State was at that time the chairman of Julius Berger. Johnson is the chairman of Julius Berger.

Julius Berger grew in power and prominence in Nigeria during the Babangida years and it was during that regime that Aso Rock, Nigeria’s seat of government, was constructed by Julius Berger. The International Conference Center in Abuja was also constructed by Julius Berger. The construction was completed in three months and is reputed to have been paid for in crude oil.

When Pres. Olusegun Obasanjo conferred the national honor of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on the managing director of Julius Berger, four former Heads of State and Presidents were at his home for the reception that followed the award, according to a source who was there. The former leaders who attended the reception are, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, and Ernest Shonekan. Gen. Abdusallami Abubakar, stopped by briefly and offered his regrets for not spending time there as he was on his way to Liberia through Ghana.

Julius Berger did not only build Aso Rock and International Conference Center, it also built most of the roads and infrastructure in Abuja. A public affairs consultant, who worked with us on this story, wondered how much Nigeria has paid Julius Berger since they began work in Abuja. Julius Berger also constructed and still maintains the magnificent Rivers State Governor’s office and home. This was done under the Peter Odili administration.

There are no records of the cost of building Aso Rock and the International Conference Center. There are speculations that Nigeria paid for these projects in oil. Some analysts have opined that the cost of building these and other projects may have taken care of the cost of building houses and offices for some prominent Nigerians. As the saying goes in informed quarters in Abuja, there is hardly any key public official involved in decision making in the country who has not been smeared by Julius Berger bribery scheme. However, a former top member of the Obasanjo government told Elendureports.com: “How can you be sure that these people did not pay for the houses built for them by Julius Berger?” “How much are these individuals worth and how did they acquire such wealth to be able to hire the services of Julius Berger?” we queried back.

Julius Berger, through a front company known as FN Ltd is said to have constructed the Heritage House, which houses Triple Heritage, the multimedia company founded by Ibrahim Babangida, Nigeria’s first military president. Julius Berger also built Babangida’s country home in Minna. Other Babangida properties built by Berger or its subsidiary, FN Ltd in Abuja are: the office of Military Pension in Zone 4; the other one is a block of luxury flats in Maitama which currently houses top executives of Triple Heritage.

FN Ltd, which was incorporated by Julius Berger to deflect criticisms that it was getting contracts without competition was nicknamed “Finish Nigeria” by security operatives and civil servants who have deep knowledge of Julius Berger’s influence in Nigeria, especially among the ruling elite; be it military or civilian.

Julius Berger’s influence has been so much, according to several security sources, that they had always had access to very sensitive information of strategic sites including Aso Rock. And this influence seemed to have waned under the Abacha regime because of an incident that happened shortly after Abacha overthrew Ernest Shonekan. This incident has never been written about and is known to only a very few individuals. Elendureports.com can reveal that Julius Berger tried to lock-out Abacha from Aso Rock by failing to reveal the details of the security codes in Aso Rock Villa, especially as it had to do with the intricate security accesses in the complex. To that extent, it became impossible for Abacha and his team to relocate to Abuja after the November 17th 1993 ouster of the shaky Interim Government. General Abacha who had stayed back in Lagos when Ibrahim Babangida relocated to Abuja in December 1992, feared that the former president still had the codes that granted access to the labyrinthine maze of the Aso Rock security.

Worried aides who had contacted Julius Berger on the issue drew a blank as the top executives of the construction giant were said to have remarked that they were not in a position to deal with the new government without the clearance and express instruction of the IBB people, particularly of General Halilu Akilu, who as the former DG of the Military Intelligence and later National Intelligence Agency. Akilu and Babangida were said to be the custodians of the codes. According to an impeccable source, Julius Berger bosses had begged for the understanding of the new Abacha boys, because, according to them, “we deal with only one person” (meaning IBB).

When Abacha was informed by some diplomatic sources that he was conducting an illegal government from Lagos, in that Abuja had been decreed into law as the new de-facto and de-jure capital of Nigeria, the dictator decided to move decisively. Following an attempt by former IBB boys, who had become Abacha confidants, including Colonels Lawan Gwadabe, Abubakar Umar and Abdulmumini Aminu, to move physically against IBB at his Minna base, Julius Berger backed down and released the codes to a security team led by Major Al-Mustapha.

However, Sani Abacha never really forgave the construction giant for their impertinence and starved them of fresh contracts during his four years in office. Even though Julius Berger’s loss became the gain of C& C, a company owned by the Chagouri Brothers who had been longtime business associates of the Abacha family, certain longtime contractual commitments which Julius Berger had entered into with the IBB regime over the maintenance and service of the Aso Rock Complex remained in place.

For example, according to a source at the Villa, it was a normal thing for Julius Berger vehicles and personnel – black and white – to be seen moving around even the remotest parts of the presidential villa armed with their walkie-talkies. It was even usual to see white German ladies serving tea even at Abacha’s sitting rooms and guest suites, while they allegedly eavesdropped on conversations.

Julius Berger operates two hospitals in Abuja for their staff. Their white executives as well as big time officials of Nigerian government get services at one hospital while their local Nigerian staff get treatment at another facility within their base in life camp. The construction giant at some point was indicted by the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for using fake drugs on their Nigerian staff.

Top Nigerian government officials who have used the Julius Berger medical facilities, include Pres. Musa Umar Yar’Adua. He was treated at the life camp clinic during the April 2007 presidential campaign. When Yar’Adua’s condition did not improve, he was taken from the clinic to a hospital in Germany at the expense of Julius Berger. It was also claimed that as the governor of Katsina State, Yar’Adua’s treatment for suspected kidney ailment in Germany was brokered by the Julius Berger medical facilities in Abuja.

A top security source who has deep knowledge of the coup that Pres. Obasanjo was convicted of in March 1995 told Elendureports.com that some of the alleged coup plotters were found with the master plan of the Aso Rock villa. In the course of interrogations the coup suspects allegedly admitted to have gotten the Aso Rock plan from Julius Berger. We cannot independently confirm these allegations.

The building of houses for top Nigerian government officials and leaders did not stop with Pres. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Some other officials who have benefited from Julius Berger’s housing scheme include: Gen. Abdusallami Abubakar, Sen. Pius Anyim, former Inspector General of Police Tarfa Balogun, Gen. Halilu Akilu. There are allegations that Gen. Aliyu Mohammed Gusau may have also benefited from the Julius Berger largesse. A source close to Gusau told us that his Abuja residence, though built by Berger was acquired by the military intelligence General in the course of the monetization policy of the Obasanjo Administration in which he served as the National Security Adviser to the President. Gen Gusau told Elendureports.com: “Any house or houses you find built for me by Julius Berger, I hereby give to you.”

Mike Akhigbe, retired naval officer and the number 2 man in the Abdusallami Abubakar government took advantage of the Julius Berger largesse. His residence on Richard Clapperton Street, Asokoro, was built by Julius Berger. The man regarded as ‘mr fix it” and the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Anthony Annenih also benefited from the Berger generosity as he had a house built for him by the construction giant.

Military intelligence colonel and Pres. Obasanjo’s townsman, Kayode Are had a house in Abeokuta before he became the Director General (DG) of the State Security Service (SSS). After he was appointed DG SSS, he asked the Ogun State government for permission to make improvements on his house. Permission was granted and Julius Berger moved in and turned the place into paradise. According to a top Abeokuta wealthy politician, “Are’s house became something out of this world. Julius Berger built a swimming pool, changed the landscaping and literally transformed the compound into paradise.”

Elendureports.com visited the head office of Julius Berger Nig Plc. The office, tucked behind the popular Foundation House in Utako district as if trying to avoid public scrutiny, is a collection of two magnificent buildings. We met with Clement Iloba, former editor of Daily Times and now the public affairs adviser of Julius Berger Nig Plc. Iloba appeared in a hurry to see us out of the office as he met with us in his secretary’s office and in the presence of another individual whose mission or identity we did not know. Iloba insisted that we state our mission to Julius Berger Plc in a manner that we considered hostile. The public affairs adviser, hovering over us, pelted Elendureports.com reporters with questions and eventually arguments erupted. He demanded that we send our questionnaire to him even though there was no promise that our questions would be answered. However, Iloba admitted that Julius Berger has a “small unit that builds houses for people for a fee.” Iloba opined that he was willing to reveal the locations and costs of the projects they have done for government, but ruled out the possibility that Julius Berger would reveal the names of the individuals they have built houses for or what the beneficiaries paid for these houses.

In the course of arguments between Elendureports.com and Clement Iloba, the public affairs adviser boasted that he called Omoyele Sowore of Saharareporters.com and “blasted him for publishing that Julius Berger was physically removing laptops and computers from offices. I asked him (Sowore) if that is what journalism has come to?” said Iloba in exasperation. In a chat with Sowore on other issues, the Julius Berger story came up. This reporter mentioned the Iloba claim of calling Sowore and the things that reportedly transpired between them. “Nobody from Julius Berger has called me to chat or discuss the story or blast me. I don’t mind being blasted but I have no contacts with anybody in Julius Berger,” Sowore told this reporter. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 196.207.143.30 (talk) 08:45, 28 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Is there a published reference for this information? WhisperToMe (talk) 03:34, 6 May 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Bilfinger Berger?

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Where is the connection between Julius Berger (in Nigeria) and Bilfinger Berger (in Germany)??? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.219.193.136 (talk) 20:28, 22 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]

In 1950, Julius Berger, the founding father of the company met Keith Thomas and incorporated his company in Germany.

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from: Marcuse Bruno: "Julius Berger und das Dritte Reich". Gerhard Hess Verlag, Ulm (Germany), 1946:

  • the company was founded in the 19th century in Germany
  • Julius Berger (the founder) was murdered 1943 in a concentration camp

2003:D2:73CE:45A5:F85C:1099:41AD:1904 (talk) 18:34, 25 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]

This sentence is really interesting. It has quite a history: First, a source was added. This source does not reference the year 1895, nor the funding of Julius Berger nor somebody named Keith Thomas. Later the year was changed to 1950 without any explanation, which rendered the sentence completly false. Julius Berger was already dead then, as noted and sourced above. I couldn't find any mention of Keith Thomas in regard to Julius Berger or Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd, so I removed the whole sentence. Texec (talk) 22:46, 21 October 2020 (UTC)[reply]
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