Ronchess Global Resources Denies Involvement Of Pastor Adeboye's Son In Kaduna Contract Scandal, Blames State Government For Non-Payment, Project Delays
Ronchess Global Resources Plc has denied 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% completion.
SaharaReporters reported on August 27, 2024, that Adeolu, who secured the contract through Ronchess Global Resources Plc during former Governor Nasir El-Rufai's administration, have been evading accountability for the diverted funds and unfinished project.
But Ronchess Global Resources Plc in a rejoinder to the report dated August 30, 2024 with Ref: A&C/RC/PUB-01/08/2024, and titled "Pastor Adeolu Adeboye was never awarded any contract by the Kaduna State Government," stating that the contract for the projects was awarded before Adeboye joined the company as a director.
The report was signed by Adesoji Adedoyin, Esq on behalf of Ronchess Global Resources Plc.
It admitted that the projects were left, but said they were stopped because the Kaduna State Government failed to pay for the projects executed/completed amounting to N1,391,782, 486.45 (N1.39 billion).
While the firm admitted that Pastor Adeolu Adeboye is a member of the board of Ronchess Global Resources Plc, it, however, said he was not part of the company when the contracts were awarded.
The firm said Adeolu joined in 2021.
It said, "In fact, Pastor Adeolu Adeboye was not even instrumental to the award of the contracts. He (Pastor Adeolu) was neither a Board member nor a Shareholder of Ronchess at the time the Contract was awarded to Ronchess.”
The rejoinder partly reads: "Based on the execution of the above contracts and after the successful execution of the Sokoto Bank road that went viral, the Government of Kaduna State in year, 2020, again awarded the following road contracts to Ronchess: Kaduna Road Projects under Kaduna Urban Renewal Road Component.
"The Isa Kaita Road; The Sultan Road; The Waziri-Maccido; The PAN Drive Road; 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.
"Due to the inflation and additional works to be done which were not contemplated in the original contract agreement, the Kaduna Roads Projects Contract sum were (sic) revised from N10, 962, 393, 459. 76 to N15, 393, 429, 595. 10 while the Zaria Roads Projects sum were (sic) revised from N8, 739, 403, 114. 74 to N17, 262, 790. 888. 60. 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.
"In executing these projects, the mobilization fee was given with Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) provided by Ronchess and after utilizing the APG. The APG was duly discharged by the Kaduna State Government after the certification of work done by the Kaduna State Government Consultants. This led to the issuance of Certificate Valuation which enable the contractors to apply for further payment in execution of the ongoing projects upon milestones of work done.
"At some point, the Kaduna State Government was unable to keep their own side of the obligations in funding the road projects for over six (6) months and Ronchess had to source for funds from its purse to execute each of the phases of the project with the hope that it (Ronchess) would be reimbursed by Kaduna State Government after a satisfactory completion/ execution of the phases.
"It was the agreement that payments for the works already done by Ronchess were to be made to Ronchess via Certificate Valuations jointly prepared by Ronchess and the Kaduna State Consultants. Based on the above, Ronchess sourced for funds and executed some sections of the Contracts. Certificates of performance were duly issued by Kaduna State Government, some of which payments have not been made, resulting in indebtedness to Ronchess.”
"Consequent on the above facts, it is however a blatant falsehood that the projects were abandoned," the company stated.
Giving details of the amount of work done in all the projects, the company stated: "The Isa Kaita Road: 100% completed and commissioned with pictorial evidence. The Waziri-Maccido: 100% completed and commissioned with pictorial evidence. The Sultan Surame Road: 86% completed. Government failed to release funds for the completion. The Dan magaji Bridge: 100% completed.
"The Kofar Dokka bridge with Cloverleaf Interchange road: 60% completed. The Government failed to pay compensation to owners of houses that are to be demolished for the construction of the Road.
"The PAN Drive Road: 48% completed because the delay is from the Kaduna State Government. The Government failed to pay compensation to owners of houses that are to be demolished for the construction of the Road.
"The Katuru-Badarawa road: Construction works are yet to begin because the Kaduna State Government has failed to pay compensation to owners of houses that are to be demolished for the construction of the Road. Wusasa Road: 60% Completed.
"Sometime in November 2023, the Kaduna State House Committee on Works set up a find-finding enquiry in a bid to probe/investigation all the projects done by Ronchess for the purpose of determining the level of works already done.
“During the enquiry, it was discovered by the said House Committee that the Kaduna State Government ought to pay Ronchess after the Engineers on the Construction sites presented their documents.
"For a period of over 6 months, there were accumulated unpaid invoices (i.e. from April to October, 2022) but Ronchess kept sourcing for funds to execute the Contract. Ronchess continued to execute the contracts until the Kaduna State Government failed to pay to Ronchess the sum of N1, 391, 782, 486. 45 quoted in the Certificate Valuation 10 presented to the Kaduna State Government.
"The said sum of N1,391,782, 486. 45 on Certificate Valuation 10 was never paid to Ronchess even after the Kaduna State Government consultants have inspected the executed/ completed projects carried out by Ronchess. As a matter of fact, the Kaduna State Government, after inspecting the phase of the Road completed, signed that the said amount stated in the Certificate Valuation 10 be paid to Ronchess but was never paid up till date.
"It was on the basis of the failure on the part of Kaduna State Government to pay the above sum quoted in the Certificate Valuation 10 that Ronchess instituted Suit No.: KDH/KAD/594/2024 at the High Court of Kaduna State. The Kaduna State Government instead of responding to the case instituted in Court, rushed to the House of Assembly to fabricate and concoct allegations which culminated in a probe report, which was issued by the House of Assembly while the above court action was pending.
"Not relenting, the Kaduna State Government again resorted to harassing the Directors of Ronchess with police and officers of EFCC on civil issues already submitted to Court for adjudication.
‘At the behest of the Kaduna State Government, invitation letters were sent to the management of Ronchess by EFCC and the Nigeria Police during the pendency of Suit No: KDH/KAD/594/2024.
"On getting wind of the fact that the officials of the EFCC and the Police are making frantic efforts to arrest and detain any staff of Ronchess at the behest and instigation of Kaduna State Government in respect of the same Contract, the said 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. Based on Ronchess Directors’ application, the Federal High Court made an Order in the interim restraining the EFCC and Police from arresting the Directors of Ronchess pending the hearing and final determination of a motion on notice."
Seeing that EFCC and the Police had been restrained, the company claimed that the Kaduna State Government again approached the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in a bid to ensure that the Directors of Ronchess are invited, arrested and detained.
It accused the anti-corruption agency, EFCC of leaking the court papers to SaharaReporters through their counsel to embarrass and scandalise Adeboye who is not the owner of Ronchess and its Directors, without justification while suppressing the real facts of the case.
Ronchess Global Resources Plc, however, maintained that Pastor Adeolu Adeboye being a Nigerian is allowed by law to participate in any legitimate business he so desires.
"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," the company insisted.
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