Barrister Bode Elemide, counsel to RAHVET
International Limited, on Tuesday told a State High Court that the Oyo State government has re-awarded the ongoing silo project in Oyo to an unknown contractor.
Elemide in a further affidavit submitted to the Oyo high court, Awe, presided over by Justice Iyabo Yerima, expressed shock over the re-awarding of the contract to an unknown contractor at huge sum.
He said that the re-awarding of the contract is contained in a letter dated May 13 and issued the State Commissioner of Works and Transport.
The letter titled ‘Re: Award of Contract for the Construction of 10,000 Metric Tonnes 4-Bin Silo and Supply of Combined Silo Equipment at Awe Oyo, Oyo State’ was addressed to the state commissioner for
agriculture, natural resources and rural development.
It would be recalled that RAHVET International Limited, the initial contractor of the silo had dragged the state government and three others to court over attempt to terminate the project.
Among the defendants are Governor of Oyo State, Oyo State Government,
Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development
as well as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
The claimant, RAHVET International Limited had recently filed a contempt charge at same court for flouting a court order which restrained the defendants from the project site.
According to him, “the state government in the letter re-awarded the project to a contractor without giving the name and profile of the new contractor. It also re-awarded the project for 180 days.
The counsel to the claimant revealed that the defendants had continued to flout the order of the court, saying they had in total disrespect to the court plan to re-award the contract to unknown contractor.
Elemide said that the defendant had in the letter re-awarded the contract at a huge sum of N486.8million instead of N267.6 million due to the claimant and a subsisting court order.
“We respectfully attach the letter herewith and pray that it should be brought to the attention of His Lordship to show the utter contempt in which the defendants hold this Honourable Court.
“It is also to show the disrespect to court is to steal N219, 262, 671 million from the coffers of Oyo State in the dying days of this administration,’’ he told the court.
He also alleged the state government of planning to inaugurate the project, saying the state commissioner for information, culture and tourism gave the hint that we’re going to commission the project on a radio interview recently.
Elemide presented the affidavit with a copy of the letter and CD of the interview to the court.
Mr Najeem Abiola, the defense counsel, told the court that the submissions of the counsel to the claimants were laced with sentiment, saying the court does not rule with sentiments.
He told the court that the defendants has filed preliminary objection against the committal proceedings instituted by the claimants, urging the court not to entertain the further affidavit brought to it by the
claimant.
Yerima had frowned at the lateness of the defense counsel in responding to the forms 48 and 49 served on them by the claimants, saying the action was aimed at manipulating the court process.
She said that the defense counsel had initially filed `Stay of Proceeding’ at the court to explore the arbitrary clause in the
matter, adding that the claimant later approached the court because he
felt oppressed.
The judge said that the initial order of the court on the subject matter subsists, adjourning to May 21, 2019 for hearing.
