In October 2006, the Anambra State Government under Peter Obi approved the purchase of two Shandong Engineering Machinery (SEM) wheel loaders. The contract was awarded to Auto Alternative Ltd., owned by Chris Okeke, through the Ministry of Environment, Mineral Resources, Science and Technology. Each wheel loader was priced at N18 million.
On October 22, Okeke explained to FIJ that the wheel loaders were eventually delivered in 2008, almost two years after the approval. However, after submitting an invoice for payment, issues arose. According to a letter by Okeke’s solicitors dated June 24, 2015, “After the delivery, we filed an invoice for payment and that was where the issue began.”
The letter referenced another ministry correspondence from October 20, 2006, noting that the contract amount totaled N106 million, with N13.25 million deducted as Tax/VAT. Okeke’s company claimed to have delivered the loaders with complete accessories to the ministry as agreed. However, despite the ministry’s letter dated August 7, 2007, which approved payment of N36 million to Spring Bank for the equipment, the payment was never processed.
Okeke shared with FIJ that his company made repeated visits to the ministry to follow up on the outstanding payment, but government officials continually reassured them with vague promises: “Don’t worry, we will sort it out.” This continued until around 2013-2014, nearly six years after the project had been completed. During one of his visits, an official suggested that the payment had already been made.
“One person we met at the time said, ‘Why do you keep coming here and asking for payment? We have paid you; we paid you. I know we paid that money; N36 million.’ But I said, ‘No,’” Okeke told FIJ. Upon further inquiry, a clerk revealed that the payment had been directed to a different individual who was once a personal assistant to then-Governor Obi.
Okeke delved deeper into the matter and discovered that instead of paying Auto Alternative Ltd., the state government had paid N36 million to Benjamin Uba of Benflo Ltd. “We discovered that they paid him in cash. They claimed he was the one who delivered the wheel loaders we took a loan for,” stated Okeke’s lawyers.
During a legal battle in front of Justice Iguh at the State High Court, Benjamin Uba appeared, claiming that he had supplied the two SEM wheel loaders. Okeke disputed this claim, stating that his company had never done business with Uba. His lawyers argued that Uba, allegedly an “errand boy” for the former governor, was used as a surrogate to settle a personal conflict with Okeke.
“This was the beginning of a long legal battle,” Okeke told FIJ. The unresolved debt led to significant financial strain on his business, forcing him to sell his company’s workshop to repay a loan he had taken from the now-defunct Spring Bank.
This wasn’t the only unpaid sum. Okeke revealed that before delivering the wheel loaders, his company had already executed another contract for the Anambra State Government, which involved supplying 10 waste disposal vehicles and two wheel loaders. Although the government began payments, N13.25 million was mistakenly deducted. Okeke said, “The governor approved the payment, but it was never paid to us.”
He added that after completing the first contract, they were asked to supply two more wheel loaders, which were never paid for. To cope with the rising interest on the loan, he sold his company’s workshop five years ago.
“If you look at the value of that money at the time we made the payment, the dollar was N120/$1, that was $300,000 in terms of actual value. Now, the money is worth about $20,000,” Okeke lamented. “I have lost so much because of this deal.”
When Peter Obi’s administration ended, Okeke continued to seek payment, but the new government refused to take responsibility. “The sitting government would often tell us that they do not know about it because they did not approve the contract,” he told FIJ. However, Okeke argued that since contracts are agreements with the state government, not specific individuals, the obligations should be honored regardless of leadership changes.
Okeke pursued legal action, and the government at one point promised to settle the debts if he withdrew the case. Believing the promise, he withdrew the lawsuit in 2012, but the government did not fulfill its commitment. He also filed a petition with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2021, which initiated an investigation but later stopped communicating with him.
“The EFCC investigated the case in 2021 but abruptly stopped communicating,” Okeke said to FIJ. He later petitioned EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede directly in Abuja, who forwarded it to the Enugu zonal office, but again, no follow-up occurred.
Despite his efforts, including revisiting court proceedings, the debts remain unpaid. Okeke’s frustration is evident, as he feels the government has taken advantage of him by making promises it never intended to keep.
FIJ reached out to the Anambra State Government and its Ministry of Environment via email on October 23, with a follow-up email on October 28, but received no response. Christian Aburime, the chief press secretary to the current governor, Charles Soludo, was also contacted on November 6. However, Aburime claimed ignorance of the contract.
“My dear friend, if you want to go to the press, you can go. This is a different government, and I am not aware of what you’re saying; nobody is,” Aburime told FIJ. He emphasized that the Soludo administration came into office in 2022 and was not responsible for previous contracts. He suggested Okeke seek redress with the officials who originally awarded the contract.
“You’re addressing a government that came into office in 2022. How do you reconcile that?” he asked. “Let him go and meet the people who awarded him the contract. I’m sure they are still around and still alive.”
FIJ followed up with Aburime on the suggested date, but he did not answer subsequent phone calls, WhatsApp messages, or texts. As of press time, no further communication had been received from the government.
(Credit: FIJ)
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