The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Engr Jude Okpor stated this yesterday while reacting to a social media publication by the contractor popularly known as Jean-Philips company against the state government on the alleged debt.
Okpor said in the said publication against the Ebonyi State government, the contractor accused the government of refusing to pay him a 15 per cent balance of a supposedly executed total contract sum of sixty-eight million, eight hundred thousand Naira which he entered with the previous administration in the state.
“Without attempting to join issues in the public domain with the said contractor, it is pertinent that we set the record straight for the benefit of the reading public.
“First, the contractor, Ifeanyi should realize that the present administration in the state was not privy to the contractual agreement, and as a new administration, it is still in the process of verifying the veracity of many claims before it.
“If Ifeanyi's balance is among those inherited from the previous administration, he needed to have exercised due patience in following the right official procedures and proper administrative channels rather than taking to social media.
"Secondly, Ifeanyi's reference to his non-indigeneship of the state as the reason for his alleged, self-conceived oppression by the state government betrays his ill intentions and overt mischief in the writing of the supposed transaction.
“If the business is transacted on a tribal basis, why should the State Government give him the contract in the first place when many Ebonyians could have rendered the services?
“Ifeanyi should have asked to be cleared that the many inherited bills before the new administration do not take into cognizance the origin of the supposed beneficiaries, and as such, Ifeanyi should appreciate the fact that he is not the only one allegedly being owed by the State Government.
“The State government in line with its fiscal responsibility and public interest spending will do justice to all claims their authenticity is eventually established by due processes and necessary investigations. These may include Ifeanyi's claims.
“Moreover, we wish to state that many contractors like Ifeanyi, most of whom are indigenes of other states, including Anambra, whose claims have been completely verified and authenticated through the contracting ministries and agencies of government have started receiving their claims.
“We therefore wish to employ this medium to advise Ifeanyi to approach the government through the Ministry of Aviation with all relevant documents to justify his claims rather than resorting to cheap blackmail.
“Once his claims are verified in line with established processes, he would be paid like others in his shoes who have started receiving theirs," Okpor stated.
