Former MDGs Boss Petitioned Over N58m Debt
Former Special Adviser to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr. Precious Kalamba Gbeneol[/caption]
A solar company, Zimmerman Brothers Nigeria Limited, has petitioned the immediate past Special Adviser to the President on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Dr. Precious Kalamba Gbeneol, over an alleged N58 million debt in connection with a contract of installation of solar powers in some South-eastern states.
The petition, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Zimmerman Brothers Nigeria Limited, David Umezurike, revealed that company had executed the project within the stipulated time.
Umezurike said that the said money which was allegedly paid into the account of Mrs. Gbeneol Sister’s Company, D’Jes Enterprises Limited was however not remitted into Zimmerman’s account.
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Umezurike, in the petition said: “Zimmerman Brothers Limited was contracted by D’Jes Enterprises Limited, represented by Mr. Simon J. Aboki, who was acting on behalf of Mrs. Gbeneol and Mrs. Tamuno Jamagbo to install 906 solar street light distributed across five states; Rivers, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Edo on July, 2013.
“The total contract sum was agreed to be N200,000 per pole with the grand total of N181,200,000. Of this quantity, 300 poles belonged to Spirent Nigeria Limited.
“In the course of executing the project, we were unable to get sites for the remaining 300 poles which were located in five communities in Enugu and Anambra States. At this point, Dr. (Mrs) Jamagbo’s representative, Nelson, handed the site takeover certificate and copy of award letter for Spirent Nigeria Limited to me, David Umezurike to enable us locate the sites.
“The job was completed in November 2013 after installation of all the components on the poles and the lights are still functional up to date. The sites were inspected by MDG state consultants and valuation certificate issued. Upon investigation, we realized that Spirent Nigeria Limited, the company with the last 300 poles, was paid since August 2013, a revelation that you earlier confirmed in our meeting with you in November 2014.”
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Umezurike said after one year of the completion of the project a total sum of N125 million was paid into his company’s account, leaving out N56.2 million.
He said in October 2014, a request was made to Mrs. Jamagbo on the need to pay the money but it did not yield positive result as he said the woman, who had earlier collected the full payment for the job on behalf of her company, refused to pay them.
The Zimmerman boss disclosed that moves by Brigadier General Williams Obene to settle the matter proved abortive as Mrs. Jamagbo refused to pay the money.
When contacted, Mrs. Jamagbo said the case was already with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and that all the parties would be there.
She said Zimmerman, instead of executing the project at the designated places, the workers made installation in their villages, thereby breaching the earlier agreement.
