Angry Ijaw Man Challenges Wealthy Businessman To Swear Before Gbaran Egbesu Over Failure To Pay His N13m

Our Reporter

Former His Royal Highness of Bolou community in Burutu Local Government area of Delta State, Coniel Segi has challenged the Chairman of First Marine and Engineering Services Limited, Joseph Penawou to appear before Gbaran Egbesu, an Ijaw deity and swear that he never owed him N13.5 million for services rendered to his company.

Segi, in a statement issued in Warri, said he would also be available to also swear before the dreaded Ijaw deity if he lied against the businessman, who happens to be his kinsman.

He stated that the resort for both of them to swear before Gbaran Egbesu became the last effort following the refusal of Joseph Penawou to listen to pleadings by concerned elders that he should settle the matter with him once and for all.

Segi had early last year cried out to then President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on Chairman of First Marine and Engineering Services Limited to pay his N13.5 million for services rendered to his company.

He had also appealed to the then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio to help retrieve the money from Penawou alleging that instead of the wealthy business man to pay him, he has been using his wealth and position to intimidate him.

Narrating his ordeal to Journalists in Warri, Coniel, who was almost shedding tears, said the Chairman of First Marine and Engineering Services Limited, Penawou approached him in 2011, as His Royal Highness of Bolou community, for cooperation and smooth execution of a contract to be executed in his community.

According to him, the contract, awarded to First Marine and Engineering Services Limited by the Ministry of Niger Delta was for construction of Bolou-Ndolo Canalization project and River Training job at Foupolo-Bolou Ndoro Creek in Burutu Local Government area.

The contract, he said, was awarded to the company under Mr. Godsday Orubebe as Minister of Niger Delta then and that it ran into several billions of naira.

Coniel said, as His Royal Highness of Bolou between 2011 and 2012, a two-year tenure, the Chairman of First Marine and Engineering Services Limited, Penawou approached him and solicited for his assistance in the execution of the project sited in his community.

He disclosed that Penawou placed him on a monthly allowance of N100,000 and also solicited for his assistance in the recruitment of Indigenes that would work in the execution of the project at between N30,000 and N60,000 per person which he did.

A copy of the letter of employment to one of the youths shown to newsmen was dated December 19, 2011 and signed by one Mr. Kizito Adjekugjele, the Human Resources Manager of the company.

Coniel disclosed that his monthly allowance of N100,000 and salaries of the workers recruited was to last the duration of the contract which started in 2011 and ended in 2020.

“The agreement with Penawou is that the offer of my monthly allowance of N100,000 is tied to the duration of the job. The contract was rounded up in 2020. If we calculate that, Penawou is owning me N12 million excluding the balance of N1.5 million promised when he paid homage to me”, he said

Coniel, who is battling an undisclosed ailment, said he made several efforts, through prominent Ijaw leaders to prevail on the Chairman of First Marine and Engineering Services Limited, Penawou to pay the money proved abortive.

Instead, he disclosed that the Ijaw businessman has been using his security aides to threaten and intimidate him whenever he meets and demand the money from him despite the intervention of the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, who awarded him the contract.

“He told many of our Ijaw people that he is actually owing me but I wonder why he don’t want to pay the money. I have an ailment to take care of and children to feed but this man is just punishing me for nothing. That’s wickedness”, Coniel said.

He appealed to Nigerians and particularly President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, prominent Ijaw leaders to prevail of Penawou to pay his money or he will swear for him in accordance with tradition in ijawland.

“If he refuse to pay me, I will go to our traditional processes to recover my money. Penawou is behaving as if he is God using his wealth to intimidate and oppressed me. I won’t take it again”, Coniel said with tears dropping on his face.

Effort to reach Penawou proved abortive as he refused to pick calls or respond to text messages sent to his phone.