A Benin Chief, Osamede Adun, the Aiyobahan of Benin has dragged Edo Line Transport Company to court over alleged non payment of his accrued enticements and contract breach.
The claimant, is seeking a declaration that the company’s failure to pay his salary and entitlements during the period of his appointment by the State government under Godwin Obaseki as Sole Administrator of the company, before he was relieved of his duties by him, is unlawful.
Adun disclosed this in an interview with a Blogger, identified only as Timothy, in Benin City in response to concerns raised over non-payment of a physically challenged computer Engineer, Samson Achie, who claimed to have support some computer hardware and rendered ICT services for the company that were not fully paid for during Adun’s tenure as Sole Administrator of the State government-owned rebranded company.
The Chief Executive officer of Bob Izua conglomerate, who did not reveal the amount of money the company is owing him, urged the contractor to channel his complaints to Edo Line Transport Company.
Narrating his ordeal earlier, Achie recalled: “sometime on July 12, 2014, I had a business with Chief Osamede Adun, who requested me to supply some equipment when he was appointed as the then Sole Administrator of Edo Transport Services.
“I did the supply, including ‘T I machine, counting machine, computers and computer accessories, in addition to configuration and installation. And the total amount was N3.5 million.
“A year later, he (Chief Adun), gave me the sum of N100,000, leaving unpaid sum of N3.4 million. Between that time and now, I have not been paidy balance money.
“And I have tried every means to reach him, including through phone calls, but all to no avail. Hence, I could not reach him, I have decided to cry out for the public to prevail on him to pay me my money.
“Right now, my business is grounded. I need money to take care of my family. I have children I am training. And I do not want them to drop out of school”, the Computer and ICT businessman who brandished receipts, and other documents, said.
Responding to the claim by the contractor, Chief Adun said, “The young man is a fool. Where has he been since 2014?
“He (Achie) also challenged the supplier to provide any contract agreement that suggest that he hired him to supply the equipment, and rendered any service for him”, he said.
According to Chief Adun, “Is it not the government that owns everything in Edo Line. What is he saying? Do you know how much (personal money) that I spent on Edo Line that I was not paid to me that Obaseki did not pay. Rather he started fighting me then.
“I am not owing him. If he goes ahead and tarnish my reputation. I will take him to court where he will prove the allegation that I am owing him.
“Is it my name that he used to supply the equipment? Is it not the government that owns Edo Line Transport? Edo Line Transport Company and I are in court.
“I was contracted as a sole Administrator, by Obaseki. When he came in, and drove everybody away from there. If he knows that he supplied anything there, he should go and meet Edo Line Transport Company to pay him his money”, according to Chief Adun.
