A senator representing Bayelsa State
in the 8th National Assembly, Mr. Ben Murray-Bruce has been alleged of
defaulting in the payment of suppliers worth millions of Naira, reports ITRealms.
Correspondent also reports that this
is coming a few years after the closure of Lifestyle, owned by the Ben
Bruce family.
Lifestyle, ITRealms gathered, is a nationwide-based chain store which engages
in marketing of books, gift items, toys to name a few and owed in the process
of supplying the various goods for sell in their Victoria Island, Lagos
galleria and other locations across the country.
ITRealms also learnt that some suppliers who borrowed huge money
from banks to procure, import or produce the items before supplying them to
Lifestyle were frustrated on learning that key officials of the company
supposedly attending to them had been ‘compelled’ to resign their appointments,
even as it was difficult to meet Ben Bruce and his brothers on the matter.
“We have made several efforts,
including visits, phone calls and text messages to officials of the company
without success,” one of the victims, Mr. Udeme Akpan said.
Mr. Akpan who is a Lagos-based
journalist and author of the book “Niger Delta and Oil Politics,” reiterated in
a telephone chat that he was not paid even after Lifestyle completed the
marketing of his books.
“It is true that Lifestyle owed many
suppliers, including myself before closing shop a few years ago. The officials
of the company have not made any efforts to settle the debts which amount to
some millions of Naira. I have been paying interest because the funds we used
in producing the book were raised from a bank,” Udeme decried.
Udeme told ITRealms that when he discovered that the usual reassuring messages
were no longer coming, he decided to visit the office and again, the lady she
met promised that his own payment would be made within weeks.
Consequently, he said, other “staff
of Ben Bruce have been very hostile to everyone who goes there to ask for
payment. This is to say least most unfair, fraudulent and discourteous,
especially coming from Ben Bruce who gives impression that he is committed to
building a new Nigeria.”
Further, Udeme said that a company
known as Balogun Badejo Consulting Limited, was contracted to liquidate Nu Metro
assets in Nigeria and used the proceeds to settle its liabilities or
debts. Stressing that at a stage, creditors made up of authors and
suppliers were invited to file their claims and provide necessary documents for
eventual payment.
“I supplied all documents requested
to process my payment and followed up with several visits. Its consultant,
Ibrahim Showa kept on promising that I, and others would be paid. But the company
never did despite several visits and calls. It beats my imagination why a
company like Balogun Badejo that should have respect for ethics and
professionalism should have accepted to execute the task if it was not going to
leave up to expectation,” Udeme stressed.
Efforts to contact Senator Bruce proved abortive at the
time of filing this story.
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Pix: Courtesy: Silverbird.com - Senator Ben Murray Bruce
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