By Tunde Adetunji, Abuja
* His claim are unjustifiable, says Aide
A 64 year old German national, Richard Klosa who has spent over 41 years in Nigeria has petitioned the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo to compel the Zamfara State governor, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, to pay him N195 million owed his company since February, 2013.
Klosa who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of Connexx Plants Nigeria Limited said his company was awarded a contract by the Zamfara State governor in February 2013 for the supply and installation of a radio station equipment, adding that it was the governor’s desire to commission the station on 29, May, 2013 to mark two years in office.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, Klosa said the governor has ruined his career and businesses in Nigeria and Germany because he can no longer pay his office rent in Abuja for the past 3 years and he has not been able to pay salaries of his workers for the past two years.
He added that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is on his neck to the extent that they have put stickers on the office door warning people not to transact business with the company, adding that German friends who also granted loans to sustain their living are now demanding their money back and “we had to close our German office in April this year because we cannot pay for the rent. ”
According to him, the company discovered that the building complex to host the digital studio equipment which was erected by a local contractor lacked air conditioners, earthing system, proper electrification and many other omissions, stressing that the company made it known to the former commissioner of information, Ibrahim Muhammad,who mandated the company to supply and install these additional equipment.
He said the company had to source for money through a loan where they were given commitment letter and were promised payment immediately after commissioning of the project. As at today, he added, they are yet to receive any payment from the government of Zamfara.
Klosa noted that he has written to the German Embassy where the Embassy wrote a letter to the governor dated 23, February, 2017 to help intervene, noting that there was no response from the Zamfara State governor.
He further stated that for the past five months that he has been in Nigeria all his efforts to involve the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Defence, acting EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council and other high ranking All Progressives Congress (APC) politicians proved abortive.
He noted that “since the commissioning of that project on 29, May, 2013. I made 17 journeys to Nigeria to request for my balance payment in order to get justice and restore my reputation.
“It appears I am not only addressing the governor but an established system which does not recognize that my case is no longer a local issue but an international scandal, ” he said.
Reacting to the allegations, Special Adviser on Media, to Zamfara State governor, Ibrahim Dosara said the claim by the contractor was unjustifiable and that he cannot react to it.
“This report is an investigative report. If somebody is making allegations you need to clarify the claim.
“It is unjustifiable and the basis for my reaction depends on when you come and see what he is claiming, that is when I can react,” he said