Etim Ekpimah, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Government has admitted that it is indebted to architects involved in the design and construction of the Akwa Ibom State Government House.
According to the government, its debt to Mr. Ubokutom Nyah (the principal), is N48,656,233.70 and not N2,133,547,837.30 as claimed.
OttoTrinity Studios had on July 30, 2017 taken the Akwa Ibom State Government to court over N2,133,547,837.30 it owed the firm for the design and construction of Government House.
The firm had even asked the state government to evacuate the House so that an external firm could auction the property and pay what is owed to them.
The position of the state government was revealed in suit number HU/MISC.286/2017 made available to Southern City News in Uyo.
It read, “An order of this Honourable Court entering judgment in part, in Suit No. HU/147/2016 in favour of the claimant for the defendant to pay to the claimant the sum of N48,656,233.70, which sum, the defendants expressly and voluntarily admit in their pleadings as being the claimant’s entitlement while the parties hereof continue with the case in respect of the contentious part of the claim.”
Speaking with journalists on the development, Nyah insisted that the government owed Otto Trinity Studios N2,133,547,837.30, and not N48,656,233.70.
He, however, said he was willing to collect the N48,656,233.70 pending when the court would decide on the true amount owed the company, and appealed that the state government should pay its debt.
He refuted claims that the state government had no money, stating that the government recently benefitted from the Paris Club refund.
Nyah noted that the payment was important to enable the company to fulfil its obligation to its employees.
He said, “That the claimant is willing and ready to accept the sum of N48,656,233.70, which the defendants have admitted while continuing with the case in order to prove the contentious claims thereof.
“That the defendant, indeed Akwa Ibom State Government, is feigning financial incapability whereas it is wallowing in affluence.
“That on 21-7-2017, the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Linus Nkan, in a press conference, confirmed that Akwa Ibom State Government has received the sum of N10 billion representing its own portion of the Paris Club refund.”
The hearing for the suit is scheduled for Monday, August 28, 2017 at 9.00am in High Court 4 (Vacation Court), Uyo.
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