A private company, Middlebelth Entrepreneurship and Commercial Vehicle, (MECV), Limited, has called on the Management of National Inland Water Ways Authority, (NIWA), Lokoja to urgently call its Lokoja Area office to order on the planned cancellation of of the contract agreement it entered with MECV in 2019 so as to avoid litigation.
In a letter addressed to the company by D.A Momoh and CO and signed by D. A Momoh Esq. on behalf of MECV limited, and addressed to the MD of NIWA, Dr. George Moghalu said his client has already expended the Sum of N325, 000 on the said agreement and wondered why the agreement would be cancelled without any cogent reason.
The letter which reads in part said “Our client via a letter dated, 6th May, 2019, applied for leasing of Dredging machine under your management in Lokoja, kogi state. The application was to enable our to dredge sand from the River Niger in two sites in Lokoja kogi state.
“The said letter was was received and acted upon by your office, via your reply dated 17th June, 2019, through the office of your Area manager.
“In your reply as an acceptance of our client application, you ordered our client to pay the Sum of N25, 000 as cost of application, N150, 000 as processing fee and another Sum of N150, 000 as monitoring fee.
He said based on the request of NIWA the said money totalling the sum of N325,000, was paid to the company and receipts were issued, adding that the Sum of N1, 500, 000 was approved by the former MD of NIWA, Senator Mamora as fee for leasing of the dredger, which he said was later reviewed upward to N2, 500, 000
“To the greatest surprise of our client, one of our clients Director, Mr. Yahaya Egbunu was informed by the General Manager Marine, Engr. Ororo on the 5th February 2020 that your office is not ready to continue with the business with our client after our client had spent a lot of money for the contract and the reason for such decision was not made know to our client, the company that is an indigenous company.
They therefore called on the MD of NIWA to use his office to intervene in the matter and order the immediate release of the said dredger to their client to enable our client to commence the work on the site.
