THE sole-source contract between the CNMI government and JOGO Sanitation Services is “outrageously” costly, and “somebody is going to jail soon,” Lt. Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said.
An invoice from JOGO Sanitation Services owned by Jesseleo T. Ogo has been circulating in the community, indicating that the Department of Corrections headed by Wally Villagomez paid JOGO $20,944 for 90 minutes of service on Dec. 3, 2021 to disinfect the Corrections facility. The disinfection job started at 6 p.m. and was done by 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2021, a data sheet indicated.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an owner of another sanitation company said JOGO charged the government per square foot of the room that was disinfected.
The owner, who said their company was also awarded a government contract for a Covid-19-related job, said they charge their client per scope of work.
Charging per square foot is “unreasonably expensive,” the owner added.
For the scope of work, the owner said, the price depends of the condition of the facility, the extent of infection, the number of personnel doing the work and many other factors.
For a government facility the size of Marianas High School for example, a whole day’s work would cost $10,000, the company owner said.
The $20,994 cost for 90 minutes of disinfecting work was “insanely high,” the owner added.
Even if a sanitation service company would charge per square foot, disinfecting a 500 sq. ft room should cost $300 only, the company owner said.
‘Mystery’
How the cost of JOGO services was calculated is a “mystery,” Lt. Gov. Palacios said.
The Corrections commissioner, the procurement office and whoever approved the contract “have a lot of answering to do,” he said, adding that he believes that the Office of the Public Auditor is now looking into the contract.
Once the investigation begins, he said, “they have to respond to that.”
“This has taken me aback. There are a lot of discrepancies that they have to explain — it’s outrageous,” he added.
“Let’s get things right for the people of the Commonwealth.”
“And I assure the people that Dave [Apatang] and I don’t have relatives who have contracts with the government,” he added.
Palacios is an independent candidate for governor whose running mate is Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang.
Justified
In a separate interview, Jesseleo T. Ogo, the owner of JOGO Sanitation Services, said his contract with the government was justified by an emergency application for the job, for which no other sanitation company could perform the work.
He said because the community transmission posed serious hazards to the community, an emergency contract to sanitize the Department of Corrections and the multi-purpose center in Susupe was awarded to him in November.
He said another company claimed it could provide disinfection services, but it provided “misleading” information to the government.
Ogo said some people “are misleading the public” about the issue.
“I feel I’m being targeted,” he added.
Ogo is the brother of the former wife of one of the governor’s brothers.
In December, Rep. Edwin Propst submitted an Open Government Act request for information pertaining to a government contract with JOGO Sanitation Services for disinfecting the designated vaccination center at the multi-purpose center and the medical care and treatment site in the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. parking lot.
A copy of an invoice dated Nov. 16, 2021 indicated that JOGO charged the government $4,749.50 daily or $142,485 monthly for the disinfection of the multi-purpose center in Susupe, and $752 daily or $22,560 monthly for the disinfection of the MCAT testing tent in the CHCC parking lot.
