ASABA, Delta State — A brazen pay-to-play scheme is alleged to be choking school infrastructure delivery across Delta State as contractors claim they are being forced to pay between N100,000 and N500,000 simply to get their cheques signed or to receive the all-important certificate of completion that unlocks final payment.
The explosive charges, first detailed in an exclusive by SaharaReporters, implicate senior members of the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics (DPRS) at the Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) — and, contractors say, the practice runs with the knowledge of the board’s chairman, Hon. Samuel Mariere.
Contractors interviewed in confidence say the pattern is predictable and systemic. According to one source, the initial payment, described variously as a kickback or extortion fee, is typically N100,000 to secure the release of a cheque.
A second, larger payment is then demanded for the project completion certificate, with the scale tied to the contract value: the informant gave examples such as N200,000 for a N100 million job and N300,000 for a N150 million contract.
Those who refuse, contractors allege, see cheques withheld and completion certificates withheld or delayed — effectively starving contractors of working capital and throttling delivery.
The funds, the story states, are routed into United Bank for Africa (UBA) accounts allegedly belonging to two DPRS staffers — Sylvester Etetafia and Antonia Krenyo. The latter is described as the personal secretary to the SUBEB chairman.
Multiple contractors told SaharaReporters the payments were collected “on behalf of the chairman.”
When contacted for comment, both Etetafia and Krenyo denied or deflected the allegations; Mariere declined to speak on the phone and asked journalists to visit his office.
Why this matters: public procurement and basic education funds are a recurrent flashpoint in Nigeria, and Delta is not unique.
The Corruption Perceptions Index places Nigeria deep in the low-score band (score: 26 / rank: 140 of 180 in the 2024/2025 cycle), a context in which petty and grand corruption in procurement remain persistent threats to service delivery.
Public procurement is widely recognised by anti-corruption analysts as one of the most vulnerable areas for bribery and kickbacks globally — and Nigeria’s experience mirrors that danger.
There is precedent for SUBEB-level scandals across Nigeria. In 2025 alone, SUBEB officials in other states have faced probes and arraignments: Kwara SUBEB officials were arraigned earlier this year on alleged fraud, while an Ondo probe exposed alleged job-buying and racketeering in SUBEB/TESCOM.
Taken together, these cases point to systemic governance weaknesses in how education sector contracting is administered in many states.
The human cost is immediate. Contractors say they borrow to execute work; withheld payments imperil small and medium construction firms, distort procurement bids, and encourage substandard work as firms cut corners to survive.
In the long term, schools, which are the intended beneficiaries, suffer; projects stagnate, repairs go undone and the state’s drive to improve learning environments is undermined.
UNESCO and sector analysts have repeatedly warned that corruption in education procurement directly reduces learning outcomes by diverting resources.
Contractors are publicly pleading for a transparent probe and for immediate administrative action.
“We are using this medium to call on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to set up a probe panel, and while that is being done, the board chairman and the staff members involved should be placed on suspension pending the outcome,” one contractor told SaharaReporters.
Their fear is real: contractors who speak out say they risk being blacklisted from future jobs.
Legal and administrative remedies exist. The Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act and the Public Procurement Act provide a framework for investigation, sanction and prosecution.
If the allegations are substantiated, they would not be merely ethical breaches but criminal offences attracting both administrative removal and possible prosecution.
Experience from other states shows that successful accountability requires documented evidence, such as bank statements, recorded directives, witnesses willing to testify, and political will to enforce consequences.
What to watch next
Will Governor Sheriff Oborevwori order an independent panel or task the state anti-corruption agency to investigate? The contractors’ request for suspension of implicated officials is a standard interim control that would protect evidence and prevent further interference.
Will SUBEB produce a public audit trail for contracts, cheques released and completion certificates issued so independent auditors can reconcile payments to deliverables? Transparency in procurement records is the single most effective deterrent to this kind of racketeering.
Will federal anti-corruption agencies (EFCC/ICPC) or state courts be drawn in if evidence of large or serial offences emerges? Recent arrests and arraignments of SUBEB officials in other states indicate that prosecution is possible when dossiers are well assembled.
A final word: this is not localised gossip; it is an allegation that, if proven, will have direct consequences for child education and public funds in Delta State.
The pattern contractors describe as “pay now, get paid later,” corrodes the rule of law and the state’s capacity to deliver basic services.
The onus is on the Delta State Government to move quickly, publish the facts, and show that public money for schools is not a slush fund for the few.
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