‘No chemicals missing at agency,’ Cross River Water Board faults police report

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

Managing Director of the Cross River State Water Board Limited, Chief Victor Effiom Ekpo has denied that any chemical is missing from the organisation.

Chief Ekpo’s reaction came following reports that the police apprehended some people in possession of stolen chemicals.

The new State Police Commissioner, Aminu Alhassan had Tuesday, paraded 31 suspects at the command for committing various offences.

Among the suspects were two persons who he said were in possession of chemicals belonging to the Cross River State Water Board.

CP Alhassan while parading the suspects said “On 22/8/2021 at about 1720 hrs, based on information, the Officer In-Charge Operation PUFF ADDER  and team swiftly responded and intercepted  a 3200 ATI DAF Truck with registration number KA740MJB.

“The trucks were loaded with the following items belonging to the water board: 600 bags of aluminum sulphate, 100 drums of chlorine, two occupants of the vehicle and other suspects”, Alhassan said.

However the management of the State Water Board in their reaction have denied that any chemicals is missing from the organisation.

Chief Ekpo who spoke alongside other management staff of the organisation said the management duly authorized the sale of the chemicals.

He said the sale of the chemicals is a management decision and was aimed at helping to defray some running costs in the organisation.

Chief Ekpo said: “The said chemicals belong to the Cross River State Water Board Limited.

“We have some pressing needs like payment of NEPA Bills and our energy consumption for calabar sub station alone is over 16 million naira monthly.

“So we decided as management to dispose 30 tonnes of limes, 30 tonnes of alum and 200 drums of chlorine.

“This is to settle our bills and some other needs so we can still be in business as a business entity”, he said.

He said the chemicals were duly supplied to the company by Angood Global Investment Nigeria Limited with LPO No. 030 for 88,305,000.00.

Speaking further, he said as a business entity, they were supposed to use the chemicals to treat water, sell it and then pay back the money to the contractor.

However, following the breakdown of a number of pumps and paucity of funds to fix them, management decided to sell the chemicals to pay back some of the debts.

He said the contractor had earlier petitioned the EFCC and they were invited for questions on the 26th July, 2021 through their letter with reference CR:3000/EFCC/UYO/EG/TB/VOL.2/124 over their inability to pay up for the chemicals.

He added that the Cross River State Water Board is a limited liability company that was properly registered with the CAC with shareholders.

On his part, Emmanuel Effiong Orok, the Director of Administration in the board said the chemicals have an expiry date.

He added that when the chemicals expires, it constitutes a huge loss to the establishment hence the decision to duly sell it.