Minister Dragged To Court Over N1.7b Contract Saga

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe has been dragged to an Abuja High Court by an indigenous construction company, Chemtronics Limited over a plan to revoke a N1.7billion contract awarded to the company four years ago.

It was gathered that the contract for the construction of a Skills Acquisition Centre at Iguelaba town in Edo State was said to have been awarded to the company on March 15, 2010 at the sum of N1, 799, 914, 251, following an approval to that effect by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

However, it was  alleged that due to slow pace of work going on at the project site, the minister through an acting director, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Builder Jube Jemide, had moved against the contractor threatening to terminate the contract.

Consequently, the contractor, through his lawyer, Mr Max Ogar, has sued claiming that the said contract  was awarded to the plaintiff since March 15, 2010 and that an agreement to that effect was signed on March 22, 2010.

The plaintiff said the contract was in line with Article 8 of the contract agreement, the Defendant was said to have appointed one Arch. Julius Akpovoka of Efeakpo & Co. Consult as an architectural consultant to the project.

Also in line with Article 6.1 of the contract agreement, the defendant was also said to have given the plaintiff 15% mobilisation for the contract and had since been on contract site.
 
The defendant, however, was said to have advertised for bidding and procurement of the contract already awarded to the plaintiff even when the existing contract had not been terminated.

But the plaintiff's lawyer, Mr  Ogar is asking the Court for “a declaration that the plaintiff remains the bonafide contractor in charge of the contract for the construction of a skills acquisition centre (Lot 1) in Iguelaba, Edo State as awarded to it on March 15, 2010.”


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