Supply of Rice : Contractor Writes Open Letter to Zamfara Governor over Non-payment of Money

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…Says His Life in Danger over Loan Collected for the Supply

The Managing Director of SOA Alkawari Nigeria Limited,Mr Samuel Olugbenga Asegun has sent an “Save Our Soul” open letter to the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Bello Muhammad Matawalle urging him to order Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Local Government and Development to pay the protracted rice subsidy payment .

According to him ,the long overdue rice subsidy payment receivable from the State Government’s Civil Servants Welfare Scheme executed in June,
2020 has put his life in danger .

His words:”Currently, the life of our Managing Director is seriously in danger as a result of constant hard pressures and foreclosure threats by our lenders simply because your Government has refused to pay us per the agreed terms. We have been treated very unfairly and made to Suffer huge losses unjustly”.

“It is almost 3 years now after the completion of the said supply during which time we have waited painfully, lobbied extensively and pushed hard
for the payment of the promised subsidy without getting our payment. “

In the open letter with title: OPEN LETTER /SOS TO ZAMFARA STATE GOVERNOR HIS EXCELLENCY BELLO MUHAMMAD MATAWALLE – Samuel Olugbenga Asegun ,he said, “Under the approval of your Excellency, in June 2020, we were awarded a
supply contract by the Directorate of Labour Matters. Irrevocable Payment Guarantees were issued to us by Zamfara State’s Head of Civil Service,
Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

“The payment terms of the referenced contract provided that Zamfara State Government will pay N5,000 per bag on behalf of all benefitting Civil
Servants while the benefitting Civil Servants would pay N14,000 per bag via salary deduction.

 We were assured by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters that the agreed subsidy shall be paid to us immediately after our delivery of the rice contracted to us since, according to him, the State Government had provided funds for the payment of the
subsidy.

“Trusting on the integrity of your Government, we proceeded to take a 120-days loan from Capitalfield Financial Management Limited to enable us
execute the said rice supply.”

“We therefore appeal to your Excellency to order an immediate release of
our overdue subsidy payments while we hope you will kindly redress this
injustice by your necessary action.

“It is our hope that we won’t need to seek for a legal redress to demand our due payments and the huge losses we have suffered as a result of the delay cum refusal to fulfill your Government’s contractual obligation to us.

…Read details of the full letter

OPEN LETTER /SOS TO ZAMFARA STATE GOVERNOR HIS EXCELLENCY BELLO MUHAMMAD MATAWALLE – Samuel Olugbenga Asegun

We, SOA ALKAWARI NIG LTD, hereby write this open letter to you, Sir,
the Zamfafa State Governor, His Excellency Bello Muhammad Matawalle,
pleading that you should kindly order both the Ministry of Finance and the
Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, to
immediately release our long overdue rice subsidy payment receivable from
the State Government’s Civil Servants Welfare Scheme executed in June,
2020.

Under the approval of your Excellency, in June 2020, we were awarded a
supply contract by the Directorate of Labour Matters. Irrevocable Payment
Guarantees were issued to us by Zamfara State’s Head of Civil Service,
Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Local Government and Community
Development.

The payment terms of the referenced contract provided that Zamfara State
Government will pay N5,000 per bag on behalf of all benefitting Civil
Servants while the benefitting Civil Servants would pay N14,000 per bag
via salary deduction. We were assured by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters that the agreed subsidy shall be paid to us immediately after our delivery of the rice contracted to us since, according to him, the State Government had provided funds for the payment of the
subsidy.

Trusting on the integrity of your Government, we proceeded to take a 120-days loan from Capitalfield Financial Management Limited to enable us
execute the said rice supply.

Furthermore, we had decided to support your new administration in executing this Staff Welfare Scheme while risking our own lives by defying the then ravaging Covid 19 and the rampancy of banditry in and around Zamfara State.

Sir, it is almost 3 years now after the completion of the said supply during
which time we have waited painfully, lobbied extensively and pushed hard
for the payment of the promised subsidy without getting our payment.

Your Excellency, the refusal of your Government to pay the subsidy per the
term of the said contract has totally crashed the business of our small
company while our loan balance with the lenders has grown more than thrice the amount of the original loan we actually took due to accumulated monthly interest and daily default penalty. Sadly, our lenders are now in the process of foreclosure on the collateral pledged for the loan while our company promoters currently live under untold pressure and debilitating stress.