COMMISSION OF INQUIRY SEEKS MORE DOCUMENTS IN THE LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BENUE STATE GOVERNMENT AND ORACLE BUSINESS LIMITED.
Akume Raphael.
The Benue State Commission of Inquiry into the Sale/ Lease of Government Assets, Companies, Markets ( both state and Local Government Markets), and Moribund Companies has demanded the Ministry of Industries, Trade, and Investment to submit documents of landed property of Benue State government under their jurisdiction.
The Commission gave this order today at its sitting when the Covering Permanent Secretary, The Acting Director of Industries, and the Director of Trade from the Benue State Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment appeared before the Commission to give an account of the Ministry from 2015 -2023.
Inquiring into the list of thirteen Benue State-owned companies submitted by the Department of Industries only the Benue plastic company which is leased to Oracle Business Nigeria Limited is found to be functional.
Taking a closer look into the lease agreement between the Benue State Government and Oracle Business Limited it was discovered that the company was leased to Oracle in 2013 for 15 years with a two-year Moratorium.
Oracle Business however breached the agreement between the Benue State Government after making the first payment of Thirty Million Naira which they were to pay up-front before taking over the company.
Explaining the lease agreement further, the acting Director of industries, Mrs. Mbamilin Yandev said in 2022 Oracle Business Limited through a letter forwarded expenses incurred by Oracle Business Limited for the purchase of machines and structural development to the tune of 3.7 Billion Naira to the ministry requesting the ministry to convert the money into the lease fee.
The Director said the Ministry of Trade and Investment forwarded the letter of Oracle Business to the State Exco for consideration and exco approved the extension of the lease agreement for thirty years to expire in 2058
Also, throwing more light into the sale/lease of some of the companies the Director of Trade, Mr Francis Terkura Kurum told the commission that most of those companies or landed property leased out or sold were done without the knowledge of the Department of Trade of the ministry, that at one point he even asked his commissioner that if someone ask him to give account of how those companies or landed property were sold what will he say? Mr Francis said the commissioner replied to him by saying, “In government, is better to listen more than talking”.
He said as Director of Trade in the Ministry of Trade and Investment, no one consulted him before the sale was done.
The Benue state liaison officers of Kaduna state and FCT were also invited to throw more light on the sales of Government property within their jurisdiction.
