Construction company slams Benue Dep Gov for telling the Vice President that it abandoned N2Billion Idye Flood Control project in 2004.

The Managing Director of CAD Dev Ltd Arc Tyoapine Tsegba  has slammed Benue dep Gov Engr Benson Abounu over comments his made during the recent visit of the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo to Benue to access the flood disaster, in a press statement issued to the media, Arc Tsegba  discribed the Dep Gov's claims as untrue..read his statement below.

My attention has been drawn to a publication on page 14 of The Punch Newspaper of Thursday, 7th September, 2017 with the caption, Flood: FG to dredge River Benue, construct drainage.

In the 19 paragraph report, paragraphs 17 and 18 are a complete misrepresentation of facts that portray my company, CAD Development Limited and my person in negative light before the Benue community and even the entire nation.

According to the report, “This project started in 2004 under former governor George Akume, when I was Commissioner for Water Resources but could not be completed which is evident in what you are seeing today in Benue State…The Benue Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, during the inspection told the Vice President that the contract for the construction of the Idye drainage was awarded to CAD (sic)construction company, Abuja for N2 billion. He went on “the company abandoned the project after only about N750 million naira was expended on it”.

To put the records straight, the contract for the construction of the said drainage was awarded to CAD Development Limited by the George Akume administration in 2002 and not in 2004 as reported. The actual contract sum of the project was 700 million naira and not 2 billion naira as alleged.

Even though we are aware that the entire seven hundred million naira was released by the federal Government for the project, CAD Devt Ltd has been paid about four hundred and sixty (460) million naira only. The balance is still with the Benue State Government. The 460 million naira CAD Devt Ltd received represents about 66% of the total project cost. On our part, we have executed about 61% of the work and still have a valuation certificate running into millions of naira that has remained unpaid till date.

We are therefore embarrassed by the accusation that CAD Devt Ltd abandoned the contract after collecting 750 million naira for the job. This is not true. When the news came out, to prove our innocence in the matter, we made contact with His Excellency the Deputy Governor of Benue State Engr Benson Abounu who was credited with making the statement and who incidentally happened to be the Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment during the George Akume administration and who signed the agreement on behalf of the Benue state government when the contract was awarded. But the Deputy Governor vehemently disowned the report.

We identify with and greatly feel the pains of the flood victims. We are also victims as we have suffered colossal loses as a result of the flood. The entire premises of CAD Devt Ltd, machineries and equipment have been submerged in water with damages running into millions of naira.

It is therefore unfair at this very trying period of our lives and wicked to infer, even remotely, that the plight of the hundreds of families now in despair as a result of the flood is because of the negligence or dishonesty of CAD Development Limited.

We advise that if the Benue State Government is really desirous of mitigating this disaster, she need not look far. We pledge our availability to assist in whatever way necessary that would help remedy the situation and bring respite to our people.

We therefore urge the public to regard the statement accusing CAD Development Limited of collecting 750 million naira and abandoning the Idye River Basin drainage contract as false and completely without substance but only intended to tarnish our hard-earned reputation.

Arc. Tyoapine Tsegba
CEO/Managing Director
For: CAD Construction Company