Plateau govt reaffirms termination of contract with firm

Plateau State Government has affirmed it stands that the termination of the contract of firm, Bleneson Services Nig Ltd over the N59bn Lalong Legacy Projects remained valid and irreversible.

It would be recalled that the Managing Director of the firm, Engr Lawson Ngoa, in an interview on Monday outrightly rejected the termination of the contract by the Plateau State government despite litigations in the court of law by re-awarding the same contract.

The state government in a statement signed by its Commissioner for Information, Mr Daniel Majang, confirmed that the contract has been re-awarded to a new contractor so as to accelerate delivery of social services to Plateau citizens as intended by government.

The government stated the erstwhile contracting firm, Engr Lawson Ngoa of Bleneson services’ claims was spurious, false and misleading over the termination of the contract and its re-award to a new contractor with a view to misleading the public, currying undeserved sympathy and unfairly disparaging the government of Plateau State.

It pointed out that the failure of the contractor to deliver the projects within agreed timelines made the Plateau State Government issue a Notice of Termination of the contract with Bleneson Services Ltd.

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“After the period of Notice of Termination had elapsed without any response or reaction from Bleneson, the government of Plateau State considered the termination as concluded with same having been accepted by conduct, by the silence of the contractor.”

Manjang pointed out that after the termination, Bleneson Services Ltd evacuated all its materials, machinery and staff from the project sites and moved them out of the State.

“It was therefore an afterthought that Bleneson went to court to seek for orders of injunction supposedly to stop the Plateau State government from terminating the contract. It was therefore no surprise that the High Court of Plateau State denied Bleneson the ex-parte orders sought behind the state government, as no court of law can restrain an act that is already completed!

He averred that, “rather than comply with the requirement of the rules of court in order to qualify to reinstitute the suit by doing what the company ought to have done ab initio i.e. approaching the state government in writing with its claims, which if not amicably resolved will then confer on it the right to institute a suit of damages, Bleneson chose to appeal the ruling of the court to the Court of Appeal, which said appeal is still pending.

“It is instructive that the contract with Bleneson is a contract for the provision of services, which each party could have terminated or even repudiated, whether rightly or wrongly. Bleneson has no right under the Law to insist on carrying out a contract the state has clearly evinced an intention not to allow it continue with. It is within the state’s right to do so. By continuing with its work, Plateau State Government is not in breach of any court order.

“The contract with Bleneson therefore stood terminated and irreversible upon the expiration of the Notice of Termination. Bleneson and its managing director are at liberty to continue to live in denial! What is more, the Plateau State Government has since taken possession of its sites and found anothercontractor to complete the projects which could not be delivered by Bleneson as agreed in the erstwhile contract.

“Bleneson‘s managing director is assured that the doors of the state government remain open for discussions and resolution of all post-contract issues with Bleneson, whenever that company and its management is ready for such discussions.”

The Plateau State government reassured the public and the good citizens of the state that all steps taken so far by her with respect to the Lalong Legacy Project are strictly in line with the terms of its contract with Bleneson Services Nigeria Limited; in the best interest of our state and perfectly within the laws of Nigeria.