Former Secretary to the Delta State Government, (SSG), Chief Ovuozourie Macaulay, has issued an ultimatum to the contractor handling the uncompleted Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) 132 KVA electricity project in Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area, Matthew Edevbie, to retract his allegation against him or face legal action for defamation.
Macaulay alleges that Edevbie, who is the chief executive officer of Income Electrix Limited, defamed him in a statement, suggesting that he was among those that sabotaged the abandoned 132KVA sub-station power project, thereby portraying him in a negative light before his Isoko kinsmen.
It would be recalled that the police had last Friday, detained comedian and activist, Ajirioghene Otagba, popularly known as MC 2Kingdom, following the video posted on his Facebook page, drawing attention to the abandoned 132 KVA electricity project being handled by Edevbie’s firm.
In trying to explain the circumstances surrounding the abandoned project, Edevbie through his firm, in a statement titled: “The Mc 2 Kingdom comedy saga: Our position-Income Electrix Limiyed,” explained that the project was awarded by former Governor James Ibori, but that the project was stalled under former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007, when Comrade Macaulay was the commissioner for energy.
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“Our company battled for four years to get the state government to budget for these project to no avail. With agreement in place, we proceeded back to the Delta State Government to do a letter releasing the project to NDDC, which governor Uduaghan directed his commissioner, Comrade Macaulay to give to us,” the contractor explained.
The contractor went further to make other comments, that the former SSG, perceived as defamatory and malicious.
In his reaction, Macaulay instructed his lawyers to begin the process of taking legal action against the contractor, unless he retracts his statement, and tender an unreserved apology to him.
Addressing journalists in Asaba on Wednesday, Macaulay, debunked the allegations against him, describing them as “defamatory and malicious.”
He explained that as the commissioner for power and energy under ex- Gov. Uduaghan, he did all he could to see that the project was completed, and wondered why the firm failed to deliver the job as expected.
“For me, I am going to take the matter up with him legally. I have already instructed my team of lawyers to begin the process of instituting a legal action against Matthew, unless he apologises and straightens the facts.
“He should not incite my people against me. I have done everything to help the development of Isoko land. Coming to my role in the Ozoro 132KVA sub-station electricity project, I became commissioner for power and energy in 2007, November precisely.
“Before then, the Ozoro 132KVA sub-station contract had been awarded in the last tenure of James Ibori.
I met it and I tried to revive the contract by taking it up with my boss, then, governor Uduaghan.
“We invited the contractor back to site, Matthew Edevbie for Income Electrix Limited and News Engineering, and it was there, we learnt the owner of News Engineering was involved in a plane crash and passed on.
“And the wife who now became the new MD/CEO of the News Engineering came to the Ministry of Power and Energy in Asaba, and I know too well that under Uduaghan’s administration they were mobilised.
“Some money were paid to them to go back to site, and we met up with continuous payment and as a state government, the project was not abandoned; it was still ongoing.
“It was under Uduaghan’s administration and myself as commissioner for power and energy that Matthew Edevbie built that sub-station in Ozoro.
“Let him come out with the documents. I left that office almost 19 years now, and of course, I am not expected to go home with official documents. But if anybody wants to know, go to the office and the documents are there.
“So, saying that we stalled the project is another tissue of lies. It was on his own, thinking that he will have a better deal in NDDC that he, Matthew made a request which he admitted, that the job be transfered to NDDC and he brought the letter for me to sign for him, and of course the governor who has such powers to approve, directed me to sign, which Matthew also admitted.
“If Matthew Edevbie, anybody anywhere under that project gave me a kobo, let him say so in the public. I want him to come out and categorically, say the money meant for the project was put in Macaulay’s ministry and Macaulay diverted it or when I was paid, Macaulay took so much from me, and that is why I couldn’t complete the project.
“Why dishing out lies which people are believing to be the truth? Matthew has his own reputation which he should not drag me into. He has issue of reputation which someone is taking him on, he should face it squarely with the person and make facts available and not cooked up stories.
“He dropped so many Isoko names. General Ogomudia was never his company’s chairman as at the time of this job. I am saying that Matthew spent four years to get his transfer of the contract to NDDC is also a fat lie.
“The whole matter didn’t take up to one week, when the governor said, sign for him and I did sign for him immediately, and this was two years of my been in the ministry.
“Let him bring out that letter that I signed for him, and publish it and let’s see the date that project was signed off the state to NDDC.
“But, basically, it was his own request and how come that he has completed the other projects in Oghara and Afisiere and it’s only that of Isoko that he is now claiming somebody stalled, if these contracts were all awarded to him at the same time?
“He just have his own reasons why he decided not to execute the Isoko 132KVA sub-station electricity project and he should never put it on the head of anybody. Let him face the issue on his own.
“I am really surprised that somebody of the level of Matthew will descend to that level of dropping names, instead of defending the action of his company or telling the truth,” Macaulay said.
