- Firm Clears Air On Nwaoboshi, Says It Has No Link With Him
By Kolawole Ojebisi
Franstine Nigeria Enterprises has debunked allegations that it is one of the companies purportedly supported by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, chairman Senate Committee on NDDC and Niger Delta Affairs, to secure contracts at the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC).
This is contained in a letter the company’s Chief Executive Office(CEO) Officer, Mr Augustine Osaai wrote to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The letter is in reaction to allegations made in a press statement released by Mr Charles Odili, Director of Corporate Affairs of NDDC last Wednesday.
Mr Odili in the press statement had alleged that Franstine is one of the companies that Senator Nwaoboshi, a lawyer and two-term Senator representing Delta North at the Upper legislative chambers, allegedly used to secure for himself N 3.6 billion contract in September 2016.
Mr Ossai, CEO of Franstine, said the allegation is unfounded and “without any concrete presentation of facts”. While dissociating the company from political issues in the Niger Delta region, Mr Ossai said the company is a duly registered company with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
While not disputing the company once got a contract from the commission, Ossai said the company followed formal process of bidding and won the contract fairly.
He maintained the company has no business relationship with the Senator, representing Delta North Senatorial zone, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi. He said, “We wish to state like we have done before that we have no relationship with the said Senator, our company is a duly registered company by the Corporate Affairs Commission and we bidded for the said contract, won fair and was awarded the contract after due process.”
Mr Ossai noted that the contract was executed and delivered to the NDDC warehouse in Ondo before payment was made. The CEO of franstine added that the supply agreement for the contract was signed by him and nobody else.
He said, “It is also worthy of mention that the contract was executed and delivered to the NDDC warehouse in Ondo State before payment was made to us. The supply agreement for our contract was signed in person by Mr Augustine Ossai the CEO/MD of Franstine”
The company asked not to be dragged into on-going political feud the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC) and political leaders in the Niger Delta region are embroiled in while reiterating that it’s role is purely business as it has no involvement in political matters.
It said, “We are purely in business and not in politics and wished to be excused from the political battle the commission has gotten itself into. If Mr. Charles Odili says the NDDC deserves freedom to deliver on it’s mandate, how much more a contractor whose integrity is maliciously damaged by the lack of record keeping and proper investigation by a government agency such as the NDDC.”
Recall that Mr Odili, in his press statement, had alleged that Franstine Nigeria Enterprises was was one of the companies supported by Senator Nwaoboshi to secure N3.6 bn contract from NDDC for himself.
However, Mr Ossai while debunking Odili’s claims said that the items were supplied and received at a premises or designated place of delivery in the contract papers and supply agreement, stressing that he (Ossai) personally signed the supply agreement for the contract the firm had with NDDC and not Agbamuchi Nelson as claimed by Mr Odili.
Recall that some some senior directors at the NDDC had maintained that as a civil servant, Mr Odili’s duty ought to be strictly limited to speaking for the NDDC, and not dabble into political matters.
It would also be recalled that while reacting to Mr Odili’s allegations, Senator Nwaoboshi in a letter dated June 9, 2020 written by a team of lawyers and Solicitors, G.A.I. MOWAH & CO acting on his behalf, had demanded a public apology and the sum of N1bn as damages from Odili for making false, wicked and malicious defamatory statements against the Senator.
In the letter entitled” Publication of false, wicked and malicious defamatory matters against Chief (Senator) Peter Onyeluka Nwaoboshi: Demand for Retraction, public Apology and 1bn Damages”, Mr G.A.I Mowah, solicitors to Senator Nwaoboshi said the content of Odili’s press statement are malicious and amount to calculated attempts to lower the esteemed standing of his client before right-thinking members of the public.
According to the Lawyers and Solicitors, Mr Odili should immediately commence or undertake the following: One, a retraction of the malicious press statement. Two, a publication of the said retraction in all the electronic and print media and social media platforms where the publication was circulated.
Three, a publication of a public apology in all electronic and print media and social media platforms where the publication was circulated. Four, payment of the sum of N1Billion as damages for the harm done to my client’s reputation by the Press statement.
