Elder Godsday Orubebe
The Federal Government plan to revoke and re-award a N1.7 billion contract awarded to an indigenous construction company, Chemtronics Limited, four years ago, has run into a hitch.
The contractor, Mr. Jonathan Anakoru, who is struggling to stop the termination of the contract, has filed two suits against the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and also invited three anti-graft agencies to investigate the Minister, Godsday Orubebe, over a N65 million bribe he was allegedly arm-twisted to pay to the alleged cronies of the minister.
The anti-graft agencies are the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The contract is for the construction of a Skill Acquisition Centre at Iguelaba town in Edo State.
It was said to have been awarded to the company on March 15, 2010 at the cost of N1,799,914,251 following an approval by the Federal Executive Council, FEC.
But in February and July, advertisements were placed in newspapers calling for fresh bids for the contract which prompted the contractor to take the steps.
Anakoru is arguing that the minister could not collect such bribe from him and cancel the contract without following due process and reaward same to another firm.
The contractor had also petitioned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, warning of the consequences of terminating his contract without following due process.
In the petition, Anakoru alleged that the minister compromised his office by demanding and receiving N50 million which the company instructed its bank in writing to transfer from its account at Sterling Bank to the Access Bank account of another company, Ogbe-Ogbe Marine & General Contractors Limited allegedly nominated by Orubebe through his friends.
The two suits were filed by Max Ogar, counsel to the company who claimed that the contract in dispute was awarded to the plaintiff on March 15, 2010 and that an agreement to that effect was signed on March 22, 2010, in line with Article 8 of the contract agreement.
The plaintiff claimed that it was on ground and firmly in control of the contract site where work was progressing.
However in its statement of defence and counter-claim, filed by its counsel, B. N. Udonsi of the Department of Legal Services, the ministry argued that in line with Article 1 of the Contract Agreement, the duration of the contract was 12 months from the date of the execution of the contract agreement.
Source: National Mirror
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