Panic in A’Ibom community as business partners fight dirty
Youths of Afaha Eket community in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have expressed fear of insecurity as business partners involved in the purchase of Qua Steel scrap metal are engaged in tussle for a fair deal in the transaction.
The youths alleged that the ongoing face off by contending partners of Oil Flow Qua Steel; a company that bought former moribund Qua Steel company from Akwa Ibom State government has not only increased military presence in the area, but has also attracted strange faces of suspected hoodlums who barricaded the entrance and premises of the company to prevent some of the partners from gaining access to the company.
Oil Flow Service Limited had on January 13, 2021 approached Akwa Ibom State government, through the state Investment and Industrial Promotion Council (AKIIPOC) to express interest in purchase of Qua Steel Obsolete Metals.
It was gathered that the expression of interest letter was solely signed by one of the partners, Winifred Benedict Akpaka, Other partners in Oil-Flow include Mr. Lucky Akhiwu, Donn Chuma Maduagwu, Osifo Godwin Osas, Uchenna Standhope Ukaku and Sunny Edah.
One of the documents made available to our correspondent indicated that the Oil Flow Qua-Steel partners had to raise the N200 million payment for purchase of Qua-Steel metals, with KAM STEEL Company as principal partners.
When KAM STEEL accepted the deal, investigations revealed that the said sum was offered with a clause in the agreement that “Nothing leaves the site until KAM STEEL exhausts the agreed materials paid for.
“On the 9th day of April, while at the Qua Steel site, I discovered from one of my partners, and our Principal partner (KAM STEEL LTD) who made this transaction possible by giving us an upfront payment of N250m for the purchase of the Qua Steel LTD, that Mr, Lucky Akhiwu and his cohorts criminally conspired with the above mentioned persons and collected some millions of naira without the knowledge of other partners,” said one of the petitions reported to have been written to the police by one of the partners.
It was alleged that the terms of agreement was breached when another person was invited to buy the steel without the consent of the other party as agreed.
“While some of the partners, including, Winifred Akpaka are of the opinion that the purchased obsolete steel must not be sold out to external persons until KAM STEEL, the principal partner exhausts the agreed materials paid for, Lucky Akhiwu on the other hand is allegedly reported to have gone against the agreement by collecting money from other non-partners for materials already sold out.”
The Project Director, KAM STEEL, Mr. Idowu Adeshina, when contacted, said the contract agreement was breached by Mr. Lucky Akhiwu shortly after the site was opened for operations as he had allegedly turned around to sell the metals to others without exhausting what was already paid for.
“When Oil Flow won the bid, it had no money to pay the N200m requested by the state government.
When we were contacted, we asked for an extension of time by 24 hours to do our due diligence, we also requested that we pay the money directly to the state government’s account, but with their authorisation because we did not fully know them.
“We paid a total sum of N250m, N200m to state government and N50m to Oil Flow as those who won the bid.
The agreement was that we must lift all 1667 tons before any other person is Umahi charges security agents to defend themselves from attackers strange faces who came in to claim certain sections of Metals had already been sold out to them by Lucky”.
However, the squabble between the partners have resulted in insecurity in the community as different partners brought thugs and soldiers to protect their interest in the transaction.
Unknown faces in the community have generated tension causing residents to flee their homes.
“As for hoodlums, they will not be able to operate here without the support of the community,” the youth president said.
