Following the petition by the Managing Director, Rock Marine Services Ltd. Engr. Essien Elijah to the EFCC against four top Akwa Ibom state government officials of swindling his firm of over N184million, the State government had said that it was in no way committed or indebted to Rock Marine Services.
In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy-Mr.Charles Udoh and obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the Commissioner described the allegation as a desperate attempt by Rock Marine Services to slander the State Government in a bid to circumvent due process and unduly influence the legal process.
Udoh revealed that the Rock Marine company approached the state government for the concessioning of the Marine terminal at Oron, but was unable to show adequate proof of capacity to embark on a project of such magnitude including proof-of-funds and evidence of competence and technical partnership.
He added that the State Government petitioned Rock Marine Services to the EFCC for thorough investigation and prosecution alleging that after due investigations and having found nothing incriminating on the part of the state government, the EFCC exonerated the Akwa Ibom State government and subjected the Managing Director of Rock Marine Services Ltd, Mr Essien Elijah to investigations.
The Commissioner however reaffirmed the government’s commitment in ensuring that the State remained a safe haven for foreign direct investment and genuine investors.
Meanwhile, one of the accused in the petition, the State Commissioner for Transport and Petroleum, Mr Orman Esin in a reaction described the Managing Director of Rock Marine Services Ltd as a fraudster, stating that Essien has from the onset failed to show competence to handle a project of such magnitude.
He hinted that Essien had approached the state government with a proposal for the development of Oron Jetty in Oron Local Government Area of the State, but failed to meet the government’s demand to produce technical partners and other evidences of competence to handle the job.
Esin said the state government turned down the plan to sign an MoU with the company due to the company’s inability to convince the state of its genuineness.
Recall that the MD of Rock Marine had earlier written to the EFCC, alleging that four Akwa Ibomites namely, the Commissioner for Transport and Petroleum Resources, Mr. Orman Esin, the Technical Assistant-Bureau of Technical Matters, Mr. Victor Akai, the Director of Administration, Ministry of Transport and Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ekerete Edo, and the Finance Consultant accredited by Bureau of Technical Matters, Mr. Idongesit Bassey, had swindled his company of over N184m under the false pretence of concessioning Marine Terminal at Oron to Rock Marine Services Limited and called for investigation.
