Income Electrix Ltd, the company that is in the middle of the storm over a video posted by MC2Kingdom alleging project abandonment has reacted putting the records straight for the sake of clarity.
In a press statement the company went down memory lane to explain with vivid examples what has transpired so far and why the said project remains at 70percent to completion.
In the statement, it made it abundantly clear that Income Electrix Ltd can never be an enemy of Isokoland because for more than one and half decades it has been championing developmental strides in the entire Isoko.
Hear them:
“As an organization, we have watched with amazement the events that have been unfolding since the arrest of Mr. Ajiri-Oghene Otagba aka MC2 Kingdom Comedy.
“Even though we are unhappy victims, we understand the passion and emotions that have been steered up.
“These reactions are of course due to: (i). Lack of knowledge of the facts about the issue and (ii).pent up anger about development issues that have plagued the Isoko Nation for a long time.
“We are convinced that the logical thing to do at this moment is to provide the Isoko people with the facts and the truth as you deserve no less.
“Based on the above understanding, we feel compelled as a company to set the records straight so that contrary to the false impression that was created about us, the Isoko Nation will appreciate how much we have contributed to the infrastructure development of the Isoko Nation as a company dedicated to the rapid development of the Niger Delta.
“Let us start with the matter under contention, the 1x30MVA, 132/33KV Transmission Substation in
Ozoro.
“This project was conceptualized in 2006 by the Delta State IPP Committee and it entailed a 2 x 30MVA, 132/33KV Substation and 132KV Double circuit line at Oghara in Ethope West, 132KV Double Circuit line from Ughelli Power Station to Afiesere in Ughelli North LGA and 1x15MVA, 132/33KV Substation each at Afiesere and Ozoro respectively awarded to Income Electrix Limited while the 46km, 132KV Double circuit, transmission line from Afiesere to Ozoro to feed the Ozoro 1x15MVA, 132/33KV
substation was awarded to News Engineering Limited, a then Abuja-based Contracting company.
“All these were done in the last days of Chief James Ibori administration. Upon Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan taking over in 2007, with Comrade Macaulay Ovuozourie as
Commissioner for Energy, the project was stalled on the basis that the new Governor was not interested
in the project.
“Our company battled for 4 years to get the State Government to budget for these projects to no avail.
“Our MD then initiated a meeting in Abuja with the House of Representatives Chairman of NDDC Committee Hon. Nicholas Mutu who is a very good friend of ours and with the support of Senator James Manager (his counterpart in the Nigerian Senate) and pleaded with them to list the projects in the NDDC budget which they did. with some reservation because the project was still with Delta State Government.
“These two patriotic Deltans are still alive today. We then proceeded to meet with Ugwuoha the then Managing Director of NDDC, who had a need to do a presentation on
NDDC to the British Council, but were having challenges on how to proceed.
“We offered as Consultants to package the presentation for them in exchange for their accepting to take over the project from Delta State, since the Delta State Governor said they didn’t have fund to execute it any longer.
“With this agreement in place we proceeded back to the Delta State Government to do a letter releasing the
project to NDDC, which Governor Uduaghan directed his Commissioner, Comrade Macaulay to give to
us.
“That was how our company made history by changing client in Nigeria and not Contractor. It is instructive that we did not only transfer the project but also improved the scope from 1x15MVA to 1x30MVA each for Afiesere and Ozoro as the 15MVA was already inadequate.
“All these happened between 2007 and 2011. Thereafter, we embarked on the execution of the projects and completed that of Oghara which was commissioned by Prof. Nebo, Minister of Power under President Goodluck Jonathan.
“We also completed the line from Ughelli Power Station to Afiesere and the Afiesere Substation and it was
commissioned by Ibim Semenintari, then acting Managing Director of NDDC.
“We achieved up to 70% completion of the Ozoro Substation in 2017 before we started experiencing incessant vandalism by thieves.
“Furthermore, there was no 132KV line from Afiesere to Ozoro as the Contractor NEWS Engineering Limited was also not funded by DTSG and as such would not build the line.
“We had to stop work on the 132KV Substation to stem further vandalization as nobody knew when the feeder 132KV line would be built.
“Due to our deep relationship with the Isoko people, our company once again approached NDDC to take
over the 132KV Line project from Delta State; a move both the State government and NEWS Engineering Limited resisted for 2 years.
“In 2016, we finally succeeded when luckily Engr. Tuoyo
Omatsuli was the ED Projects and Dr Emmanuel Audu-Ohwavborua was his Technical assistant. The line
was then awarded to 3 Contractors, Income Electrix, Skyview Power Technologies and Kilowatt Engineering to facilitate speed of execution.
“To this end, we convinced the board of NDDC to approve
the Contract to be changed to dual currency, (Dollar and Naira) like all other Transmission and Generation projects in Nigeria and for a Letter of Credit (LC) to be issued to import all the materials (towers, insulators and conductors) for the project.
“It was after this that the regime of the Interim
Government began in NDDC and all efforts to get the LC opened have not been successful.
“Till date we have pressured NDDC during the tenure of Hon. Minister Umana Okon Umana and even got a letter to
President Buhari on the project, but it did not yield fruits.
“Sometime mid last year the Distinguished Senator Joel-Onowakpor Thomas inquired about the status of
the project from our MD, which he provided.
“The distinguished Senator took it upon himself and
worked very assiduously to put the project in the NDDC budget and even went further with us to engage the Senate Leader to lend his support to the project.
“Our MD proceeded thereafter to the Managing Director and the Chairman of NDDC to press that with the budgetary provision, they would issue the Letters of Credit and increase the scope to 2 x 60MVA so that it can withstand
future expansion, and our company is still following up to ensure that this is done.
“The delay on project has never been at any time the fault of Income Electrix or our MD as falsely stated.
“On the contrary the continued survival of the project has been as a result of our doggedness and desire to
it realized. It can be seen that over 75% of the total projects package has been completed and it has been our desire, irrespective of the obstacles, to fight to get all the 3 projects to successful completion
“Income Electrix Limited is a very strong African brand with transnational footprints. We do not abandon projects, no matter what!!! It therefore came as a surprise when we saw the video of the Comedian in December last year accusing
us of abandoning the project. Our MD immediately sent the video to Senator Joel-Onowakpor Thomas, the Chairman and the Managing Director of NDDC and the Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC for their information.
“Even though it was provocative, we decided to assume that it was published out of ignorance about what was going on.
“We then prepared an update as a company and sent it to the Comedian as well as publishing on most social media and online news channels, so that he could be well
informed about our efforts and the status of the project.
”Some well-meaning people including an Isoko
son, called Zino arranged a meeting to also update the Comedian in person.
He attended the meeting which held in Warri and conceded that he was now well informed, but wanted to be given money to turn the table around and begin to work for us instead.
“Our Management turned down this offer as it
was inconsistent with our principles and also, we were not sure whether he was sent by some politicians
or whether he was just a hustler working to make some money for himself and not in the interest of the Isoko people as he had seen clearly that we were working completely in the interest of the Isoko Nation.
“Surprisingly due to our refusal to pay him, he went and made a second and more damaging video. It was
at that point that our lawyers decided that in order to protect the integrity and reputation of our 32 years old Company and our MD’s 39-year old professional career that a petition be sent to the Police complaining about cyber bullying and a civil suit to be commenced against him, since it was clear that if we do not pay him, he would continue to damage our reputation.
” In fact, the two videos he did had already popped up in a background check on our company for an international business transaction that we are currently struggling with.
“The arrest of the Comedian was not ordered by our Company or by our MD and was not effected by us.
“Our lawyers made a lawful petition to the office of the IG of Police on Cyber harassment, and we believe
it is in the process of their investigation that he was picked up. In fact, we were informed that he hurriedly put together a retraction that we were no longer the ones to blame after he suspected that the Police were investigating his actions.
“The retraction came after our lawyers had filed the petition. We do not know if it is relevant, but it is pertinent to state that our MD Matthew Edevbie brought light
and not darkness to Isoko.
“He designed the electrification of 42 towns in Isoko in 1986 while working for Chris Ogoro, the older brother of Senator Stella Omu.
“He proceeded to become the Deputy Project
Manager who brought the Power from Ughelli Power Station to Iyede, Olomoro, Emede, Igbide, Ovwodokpokpor, Evwen, Uzere, Oleh, Irri, Bethel, Oyede, Ada, Ivrogbo, Araya, Aviara, Ozoro, Idheze, Iluelogbo, Ellu etc.
“We created upon the request of the Late Chairman of Income Electrix Limited, Mr Cyril Odu an Isoko
man from Ofagbe, the project to the 7 benefitting Communities for the 132KV Substation, a contract in
existence, but not yet executed as the Substation is not completed and therefore has nowhere yet to
feed them from.
The current Chairman of Income Electrix Limited is Gen. Alexander Ogomudia who is a most distinguished Isoko man from Uzere. Our MD spent 3 years of his very early career living in Olomoro and Oleh electrifying the entire Isoko land.
“We struggled with Engr Elueni to attract the Substation to Ozoro during Governor James Ibori’s administration to help feed the network that our MD built as a young man. Income Electrix Limited has very deep personal attachments to Isoko and has struggled continuously to contribute her quota to the development of the land.
“We have zero interest in unjustly persecuting a young Isoko man. However, we have a solemn duty in stopping the destruction of the reputation and integrity of a Company we
have built to an enviable level locally and internationally for the past 32 years by a seemingly misguided young man who wants to make a quick buck or working for a 5th columnist under the guise of speaking
out for his people.
“As can be seen from our track records, we have been working towards bringing light to Isoko and Not
darkness. There is nobody in existence who has worked more to light up Isoko or knows more about the electricity network of Isoko than us.
In this whole saga, we are the unfortunate victims and oppressed being cast as the oppressor.
Our MD spoke today (16/02/25) with the Distinguished Senator and we are happy about his desire to help resolve this issue and for that we thank him. However, the statement in paragraph 1 of his tweet on X seems to suggest that the project was left to rot by us.
The Senator knows the truth and from our
narrative above, the rot started with the Government of Delta refusing to take on the project for an initial 4 years and the 2 years it took us to transfer the 1st batch of the project to NDDC, then the 4 years it took to transfer the line awarded to NEWS Engineering to NDDC totaling 10 years, plus the last 6 years at NDDC for budgetary and other bureaucratic constraints as a result of which they have been unable to open the Letter of Credit.
”This is a total of 16 years of battle fought by us single handedly for the Isoko Nation. The young man who made the second video is also aware of the facts as he was
briefed and as such is not one of “such cases of speaking out against injustice” as stated by the respected Senator.
We, however, understand the need for the Senator to be politically correct but we would rather he informed the people of the truth for lasting peace.
For the avoidance of doubt, neither Income Electrix Limited nor its MD ordered nor effected the arrest of the comedian and as such cannot carry out his release. We committed to doing all we can to support his release and not be an obstacle to it.
“Notwithstanding, we are resolute in our commitment to
protecting our hard-earned reputation and integrity and would seek every civil legal redress available to
us.
We salute all Sons and Daughters of the Isoko Nation.
READ ALSO: Police releases MC2kingdom after exposing abandoned project by NDDC contractor, Edevbie
