Ex-lawmaker Seeks Payment Of N285m Contract

Former member representing Obudu/ Obanlikwu federal constituency, Emmanuel Utande, has begged the Cross River State governor Bassey Otu, to be compassionate with him by approving payment of N285m debt which state government owed his company, Goodwill Nig. Ltd for the contract he executed for the state.

The ex-lawmaker made the appeal yesterday in Calabar while recounting how efforts made by him to recover contract money from previous administrations hit the rock.

The ex-rep member, now a major player in the agriculture value chain, averred that he is sure that Gov Otu, a humane gentleman, can use his good office to right the wrong by tackling the injustice done against him by past administrations.

In an Open letter to the governor of Cross River State sighted by LEADERSHIP, the former lawmaker who claimed to have saved the then Calcemco cement producing company from collapse stated he executed a contract awarded to his company Goodwill Nigeria Ltd and rejuvenated the then Calcemco now Lafarge Africa which was ailing at that time for N285m.

“I did that when CAICEMCO had problems and was on the verge of collapse; the then military administrator of Cross River state, Colonel Umar Farouk Ahmed, appointed me as a consultant under Goodwill Nigeria Ltd.

“I successfully rejuvenated Calcemco, which was then the only cement-producing company in Nigeria.

“Meanwhile, Calcemco was designed exclusively for export because the raw materials limestone from Mfamosing was the purest.

Quite often, clay has to be added to bring down the quality of a bid so that it can conform with international standards

“After successfully rejuvenating Calcemco, it was re-commissioned with three major stakeholders: Calcemco, Cross River State government and the federal government through (BPE).

“From the records, my company was chosen having quoted the least cost of ₦285m. When it was time to pay, the state government did not pay, so I approached the court.

“By this time, Mr. Donald Duke had become governor of the state, and for whatever reason, he vowed not to pay until “I die and nothing will happen,” but by God’s grace, I am alive.

“So, now it is divine justice. When the matter was in court, Justice Eyamba Edem was the then Chief Judge of the state and on the influence of the Governor Duke, she transferred Justice Philomena Egbe from Calabar to Ogoja Judicial division because she was seen to likely look at the case on merit.

“I saw it as a punitive case and petitioned the transfer. Justice Philomena later retired as Judge of the Appeal Court.

“The company was denied justice on grounds of “filing our case at status barred,” which was anchored by Donald Duke’s attorney general, Attah Ochinke.

“Against the foregoing high degree of injustice and the present governor is a man of peace, just and humane leader,

“I call on him to right this injustice by approving the release of the sum of N285m only to this octogenarian who served this state and nation well through goodwill company Nig. Ltd”. He maintained.