BREAKING: Contractor Writes Fubara, Begs For Payment Of Debt Owed Wike’s Administration
A construction firm, HADO Nigeria Limited that executed some roads projects in 2016 and 2017 under the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike without payment has written the incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara to pay its money.
In the letter to the governor on Wednesday, dated March 7 and received at the office of the governor on May 2, 2024, the company said that the unpaid but completed contract amount to N467,073,921.16k which it said was done in two batches.
The letter with Ref: HNL-ADM-CONT-2024-L530 and signed by one Paul Doumit is titled: “Request For Payment Of Outstanding Payments For: Ogbunabali Internal Roads And Ozuoba-rumuosi And Ozuoba-rumuokparaeli- Choba Roads.”
HADO Nigeria, a civil and steel engineering road construction, in the letter detailed the work description, and solicited Governor Fubara’s intervention for the outstanding payments.
The partly read: “Contractor humbly solicits His Excellency intervention for the outstanding payments of the above-mentioned completed road projects.
“The Ogbunabali Internal Roads Project was completed in 2017 with an outstanding balance payment of N264,742,965.40 (Two Hundred and Sixty-four Million, Seven Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand, Nine Hundred Sixty-Five Naira Forty Kobo), for IPC3 and retention.
“Similarly, Ozuoba-Rumuosi and Rumuokparaeli Road Projects were completed on 14th December, 2016, with an outstanding balance payment of N202,330,955.76 (Two Hundred and Two Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Five Naira Seventy-Six Kobo).
“The total outstanding sum for both projects mentioned above is N467,073,921.16. (Four Hundred and Sixty-Seven Million, and Seventy-Three Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-One Naira, Sixteen Kobo) Only.
“Contractor humbly solicits His Excellency to consider and intervein(sc) in the requests above.”
Ibom Focus reported on Tuesday that Governor Fubara revealed that his administration inherited a huge debt burden on projects embarked upon by the immediate-past administration of Nyesom Wike.
Fubara said several contractors, who handled different projects for Wike’s administration were coming for their balance payment running into billions.
The disclosure opened a new vista in the crisis between the governor and his predecessor and estranged godfather, Wike.
The immediate-past governor, it will be recalled, was dubbed “Mr Projects” as he embarked on a lot of projects, including the construction of 12 flyovers and invited dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, to have them inaugurated before he handed over to his successor.
Wike, at the time, also claimed that he had paid for the projects and, on many occasions, thanked former President Muhammadu Buhari for paying the arrears of the 13 per cent allocation to the Niger Delta states owed them since 1999.
The revelation of huge debts by Fubara, who was the state’s Accountant-General during Wike’s tenure, came a day he declared his intention to probe Wike’s eight-year administration.
