The Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma has bared his mind on the trending Innoson Vehicles Deal. He took to his Social media handle, and said:
“In a bid to provide operational vehicles for security agencies at the early days of our administration in order to both combat insecurity and support other logistical needs of our government, we thought it necessary to patronise local content.
This led us to partnering with Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) for the supply of the needed vehicles.
As a condition to the contract, IVM agreed to set up a mobile technical center for servicing the supplied vehicles, pending when it establishes a Technical Service Workshop in Imo State.”
Speaking further, he said “Following the supply of the said vehicles, the State Government remitted over N3b to the company and awaited their compliance with the agreed condition of the contract, which was to set up the said mobile technical center to maintain the vehicles. But they didn’t.
Unfortunately, as at today, over 70% of the supplied vehicles are broken down and the others are in various stages of disrepair due to the fundamental breach of the contract by IVM to set up a service unit.
Rather than fulfilling its obligations to the Imo State Government and complying with the conditions of the said agreement, the management of IVM embarked on an unfortunate public outcry to whip up sentiments to mislead unsuspecting Nigerians and rip off the taxpayers of Imo State.
Despite the breach of contract by IVM, we await its avowed legal proceedings, even as we remain open, as always, to amicably resolving the issues in the best interest of both parties, especially the good people of Imo State,” Gov. Hope Uzodimma concluded.