9 Years After, Court Orders Offa LG To Pay Debt Incurred By Saheed Popoola

The judgement delivered by Magistrate Gambari of the Offa Magistrate Court, has revealed how member, representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency in the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Saheed Popoola subjected Offa Local Government into debt.

The lawmaker was said to have awarded contract worth N12 million out to an Offa based business man and a contractor, Engineer Oridadegun Agboworin when he was council boss between 2011 and 2013.

Saheed, reportedly failed to pay the full money bargained and agreed upon after the completion of the contract. 

According to findings, the lawmaker paid the sum of N7.2 million and all humanly effort geared towards retrieving the balance proved abortive as he reportedly shunned the engineer each time he requested for the wages of his sweat.

The money has however become a debt on the council which many succeeding council chairmen have continued to inherit.

In a bid to recover it, the engineer, through his legal representative, Ibrahim Sharafdeen, approached the court on February 2019, seeking redress.

The matter was before the court since that time till now when judgement was handed down on it by Magistrate Gambari of the Offa Magistrate court.

The Magistrate ordered that the debt should be paid to Agboworin adding five percent alot to the total money should be added to it as compensation.

Sharafdeen, while speaking with this medium after the court session, applauded the judge for a painstaking work.

He said, "The judgement has shown that justice will always be served no matter how long it takes. The Magistrate has done thorough work and judgement has been served, because, there is no doubt, contract was awarded to my client and he performed it. 

"They entered into agreement but the local government failed to honour its obligation by paying what is due to my client. Statutorily, the council has one month to file an appeal, and after this, we can move ahead to enforce the judgement." he said.

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