Bayelsa Cemetery: Contractor Cries Out over State Government Refusal To Pay Credit of 450 Graves, Burying on walkways

A young Bayelsan Architect, Mr Wilcox Timi, has cried out over the refusal of the Bayelsa state government through the Ministry of Environment to pay him for services rendered after being engaged by the Ministry to carry out reconstruction work at the state cemetery located in Azikoro, Yenagoa.

NAIJA LIVE TV Learnt that, the renowned architect who carried out the project as the technical head of a committee that was co-headed by Dr Dagana Johnson, a former Permanent Secretary of the ministry and other directors, cried out that after selling out all the 450 graves in the cementary at over One Hundred and fifty million Naira (#150,000,000), the government has refused to pay him for his services.

Arc. Wilcox had allegedly took some building materials on credit during the construction of the cemetery project lamented that he had severally been in police custody on the orders of the suppliers from whom he took building materials as a result of the Ministry’s refusal to pay the outstanding balance of the job.

He frowned at the current Permanent Secretary of the environment ministry in Bayelsa State, Mr Waripamo Martins who offered to pay him a paltry 2million naira or stand to lose the entire outstanding 15million on the ground that there was no formal letter of engagement between him and the ministry.

“If Mr Waripano disputes the fact that Arc. Wilcox executed the job, due to his refusal to accept the 2million instead of the 15million , here are some questions begging for answers;

“1. On what ground stand or for what purpose did the Ministry’s cashier, Mrs Ifidi transfer the Sum of #19,220,590.81 through the Arc. Wilcox account?(proofs available)

“2. What was the purpose of the #23,280,000 cash that was paid by the same Ifidi into Arc. Wilcox’s account?

“3. Was the refusal to pay the money through the Ministry’s account to his account a deliberate step to deny the fact that the Ministry engaged Arc. Wilcox?

“4.if Arc, Wilcox was not engaged by the ministry, can Mr Waripamo provide the engineer/architect that executed the job for them knowing that Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment does not have civil engineers or architects who does such jobs?

“5. How come Mr Wanipamo is the only person disputing the facts when all the directors,(serving and retired) who were on the cementary committee with Arc, Wilcox are not disputing it.

“6. What was the purpose of Arc, Wilcox’s regular reports and meetings with the committee set up by the ministry?

“7. If Mr Wanipamo has answers to the purpose of the money’s paid, what is conclusion of the business for which money was paid to Mr Wilcox’s account,” he said.

Arc Wilcox called on the Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri, to intervene and urge the Permanent Secretary to release the outstanding payments, expressing worry that the Ministry has sold all the graves in very shady ways without proper documentation. He also raise concerns as to whether or not the proceeds of sales were remitted to the state treasury.

The statement further revealed that due to indiscretion, walkways and sidewalks are currently being sold to burry corpse and in some cases, exhumed old corpses from already sold graves.

He said “three categories of grave totalling 450 are given out at #150,000, 250,000 and #1,500,000 each and have all been sold out for burial.”

At the time of this report, the self acclaimed Miracle administration under the Governor of Bayelsa State Senator Douye Diri and the Ministry of Environment did not respond for comments.

SEE SOME PHOTOS OF THE PROJECT

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