By Joseph Edeh
Abuja – A German Firm, Connexx Plants Nig. Ltd. has appealed to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, to prevail on the Zamfara Government to pay a balance of N195 million allegedly owed it for a contract executed for the state.
The Managing Director of Connexx, Mr Richard Klosa, made the appeal at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the contract was for the supply and installation of broadcast equipment for the state radio station in 2013.
“I appeal to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, National Assembly, Judiciary ,security agencies and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene in the matter,“ he said.
Klosa explained that the work was fast-tracked because it was the desire of the state governor to inaugurate the project on May 29 to mark two years of his administration.
“We discovered that the building complex to host the digital studio equipment built by a local contractor lacked air conditioners, earthing system, proper electrification and many other omissions.
“We were asked to source for money, obtained a commitment letter and were promised payment immediately after commissioning,` he said.
Klosa said that the company obtained loan from banks using the parallel market rate for the purchase of foreign exchange to complete the job.
“A very successful inauguration took place the following day, respective certificates of completion as well as training certificates were signed by all parties.’’
He said after the completion of the project, the government reneged on its promise to pay the money immediately after the inauguration.
“I started writing letters and tried to see the governor in Gusau, Sokoto, Kano and Abuja but to no avail.
“I involved party members, family members and friends, even the EFCC for assistance without result,“ he said.
The managing director said that his German technical partners, MCI studio Hamburg, took the company to court and lost confidence in it because of 161,000 Euros owed it.
“By way of reaching a compromise we raised a notarised debt acknowledgement which made them to withdraw the case from court,“ he said.
Klosa said that the problem had led to him being hospitalised for high blood pressure on Jan. 2.
He said that the amount being demanded by the company included cost for supplementary equipment, deductions and exchange rate difference between 2013 and 2016.
Others are additional expenditures during the execution of the project, all interest rate charges until December 2016 to be paid in Germany and Nigeria.
Klosa said that he had made 17 trips from Germany to Nigeria to request for the payment of the outstanding sum.
He said that the company had also sought the intervention of the German Embassy, ministers of Information, Defence, NIPC and other chieftains of the ruling APC.
Klosa said he has lived in Nigeria for 41 years.
He added that the situation had made the company to be indebted to its workers for two years and landlord for three years.
He said that the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin had been notified of the matter and added: “I wish the matter will not leave an impact over our relationship.“
When contacted on the matter, Mr Ibrahim Dosara, Special Adviser to Zamfara State Governor on Media, said he would not want to be quoted.
“Don’t quote me Joseph, I am not responding.
‘’If you want to quote me you send somebody down to Gusau to see the job.
‘’You can ask your correspondent to do it for you or whatever I don’t know, until when you do that I will not respond to the story,’’ Dosara said. (NAN)
