Victor EzejaRonchess Global Resources has debunked a claim in an online report that Adeolu Adeboye, son of Redeemed Christian Church of God’s General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and one of its Board of Directors, received over N8 billion from Kaduna State Government for a contract, but abandoned the project after 30 per cent completion.
The report published on 28th August claimed that Adeolu and his wife, secured the contract through Ronchess Global Resources Plc during former Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s administration and have been invading attempts to probe the deal with the latest being a court order stopping the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna State Government, and the House of Assembly from arresting or detaining him over the project.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHowever, in a rejoinder issued on Friday, 30th August, Ronchess Global Resources said Pastor Adeolu and his wife were never involved in securing the contract. The company stated that the said contract was bided for and secured in 2020 when Adeolu was yet to become a board member of Ronchess. It said Adeolu joined the company’s board in 2021.
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Explaining how it started with Kaduna State Government, Ronchess said it had in 2018, done asphalt resurfacing roads within and around the Kaduna State Government House on pro bono (free of charge) to demonstrate its capacity for road construction projects. It later made a proposal for Junction Improvement solution at the Sokoto Bank Road, Kaduna State, and after the design for the project done by Ronchess was approved by the Kaduna State Government, a bidding was conducted which it won under due process. It pointed out that prior to the bidding of the 2020 Contracts Ronchess had earlier successfully executed some construction projects for the Kaduna State Government.
“Apt to state is that the above contracts paid for by the Kaduna State Government were successfully executed and delivered by Ronchess to the Kaduna State Government within the shortest possible time. As a matter of fact, Certificates of completion were also issued and signed in favour of Ronchess by the Kaduna State Government,” the company stated.
Ronchess said it was based on successful execution of Sokoto Bank road project that the Kaduna State Government awarded the 2020 contracts which include: Kaduna Road Projects under Kaduna Urban Renewal Road Component – The Isa Kaita Road, The Sultan Road, The Waziri-Maccido, The PAN Drive Road, and The Katuru-Badarawa road; Zaria Road Projects under Zaria Urban Renewal Road Component – The Kofar Doka Bridge, and Wusasa Dan Magaji-Nagoyi-River Galma Bridge Road with Clover Interchange.
Contract Reviewed Due to Inflation, Additional Works
It explained that due to inflation and additional works that were not contemplated in the original contract agreement, the contract sums for Kaduna roads projects were reviewed from N10.9 billion to N15.3 billion, while that of Zaria roads projects were reviewed from N8.7 billion to N17.2 billion.
“At all material times relevant to the bidding and award of the contracts which occurred in year 2020, Pastor Adeolu Adeboye was never a Board Member of the Company. Pastor Adeolu became a Board Member of the Company in 2021,” the company stated.
It explained that in executing these projects, the mobiliSation fee was given with Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) provided by Ronchess and after utilising the APG and it was duly discharged by the Kaduna State Government after the certification of work done by the State Government Consultants. “This led to the issuance of Certificate Valuation which enables the contractors to apply for further payment in execution of the ongoing projects upon milestones of work done,” it added.
How Kaduna Government stopped funding the projects
The company further stated that at some point, the Kaduna State Government stopped funding the construction projects but it continued execution with the hope of being paid after they are certified upon completion.
The company listed the projects that were completed 100 per cent and explained that the ones it could not complete was because of state government’s failure to fund them.
Following the suspension of work, the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Works set up an enquiry to probe all the projects done by Ronchess for the purpose of determining the level of works already done. According to Ronchess, the House Committee found that “the Kaduna State Government ought to pay Ronchess after the Engineers on the Construction sites presented their documents.”
Kaduna Government failed to pay N1.3 billion debt
The company claimed that the Kaduna State Government failed to pay it the sum of N1.3 billion as contained in Certificate Valuation 10 presented even after the state government’s consultants have inspected the completed projects carried out by Ronchess.
The company further disclosed that it was on the basis of failure to pay the money that it filed a suit at the Kaduna State High Court but the state government ignored the court proceedings and approached the State House of Assembly which issued a probe report and subsequently, the EFCC and police were invited who began harassing Ronchess directors.
It said that it was at this point that the Ronchess directors instituted an action against the EFCC and the Police at the Federal High Court, Lagos to protect their right to personal liberty. “It is the case of the said Directors that EFCC should not and ought not to dabble into purely civil cases,” the company stated.
The court granted the Ronchess directors’ application and issued an interim injunction restraining the EFCC and Police from arresting the Directors of Ronchess pending the hearing and final determination of a motion on notice.
The company described the online publication as “maliciously, unkindly and spitefully” targeted at Pastor Adeolu Adeboye “because of his vintage position.”
It also clarified that person of Miss Adebimpe Adeboye said to be the wife of Pastor Adeolu Adeboye is not related to him. “It is just a coincidence that Miss Adebimpe Adeboye bears the same surname with Pastor Adeolu Adeboye.
“It is manifestly clear that the publication is aimed at maligning and denigrating the names and persons of Pastor Enoch Adeboye and Pastor Adeolu Adeboye who was not even a Board member of Ronchess at all material times relevant to the award of the contracts.
“While we admit that Pastor Adeolu Adeboye is presently a Director in Ronchess, it must however be stated that Ronchess is a legal entity duly registered in Nigeria with full legal capacity. Pastor Adeolu Adeboye being a Nigerian like you and I, is allowed by Nigerian laws to participate in any legitimate business he so desires.
“Ronchess indeed executed several contracts in Kaduna State that transformed the State and it is entitled to be paid as such. Imperative to state is that there is a huge difference between a company as a legal entity and its Directors and as a matter of fact, Pastor Adeolu Adeboye is not the only Director of the Company.
“The entire facts culminating into the Directors’ persecution is purely civil in nature.”
It also pointed out that the projects “were at no time abandoned by Ronchess when the Kaduna State Government paid for the works done,” and that Pastor Adeolu Adeboye never at any point “collected money to execute any contract for the Kaduna State Government.”
The company disclosed that in view of the allegations, its Directors have contacted its Legal Representative to know their rights under the law and “shall in due course respond to the libelous publication after upon the receipt of further instructions from Ronchess.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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