*Charles Tabansi, CEO of Petronella Nigeria Limited, insists the Innoson Granite vehicles the IVM supplied did not have the required specifications, and is ‘indebted to me to the tune of N415 million at present, and I have dispatched all his eight vehicles supplied to his office in Port Harcourt’

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Petronella Nigeria Limited, an indigenous oil-servicing firm, has clarified the rationale behind the company’s recent lawsuit instituted against indigenous car manufacturing company, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) .

ConsumerConnect reports Mr. Charles Tabansi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Petronella Limited, in a media chat with reporters in  Awka, Anambra State capital, said his company had ordered 20 pieces of Innoson Granite brand of diesel vehicles with a specification that would help it work for its client Shell BP.

How ‘IVM supplied only nine vehicles’

Tabansi said: “They later withdrew one, which had a mechanical fault, and we waited for the remaining 12 units, but they were never supplied.

Some Innoson Granite vehicles at the heart of the controversy     Photo: Twitter

“Also, the eight supplied did not have the specifications which we demanded, to be able to meet up our job with Shell; so we rejected the vehicles.”

According to him, since 2021, IVM has refused to refund Petronella for the 12 units the former failed to supply, or even for all of them as it has rejected the entire supply.

Instead, it has been giving excuses, said Tabansi.

Why we patronised Innoson Vehicles

On how his company decided to patronise IVM to support the development of local content, especially in the oil and gas services sector of the economy, Tabansi said: “A friend of mine visited me in 2021 with a brand of vehicle manufactured by IVM, which was called Innoson Granite.

“I inspected the car and fell in love, and since my company was due for new vehicles, I decided to patronise IVM, which is owned by an Anambra man (Chief Innocent Chukwuma) like myself.”

During one of his visits to Anambra, Petronella CEO said he decided to visit the IVM factory, where he met Chukwuma himself.

Much later when the IVM Chairman showed he could deliver, Tabansi’s bank transferred N415 million to IVM for the supply at the cost of N21.5million per vehicle, with a balance of N15million, which he intended to pay once IVM delivered.

He further explained: “I have exhausted all peaceful approaches within the December period of 2021 to get back my money without success, then on January 5, 2022, I sued him with his company, Innoson.

“So, Chief Innocent, Innoson is presently indebted to me to the tune of N415 million at present, and I have dispatched all his eight vehicles supplied to his office in Port Harcourt.”

IVM met all the specifications, says Spokesman

However, Mr. Cornel Osigwe, Spokesperson for IVM, in a recent statement, had insisted that the vehicles supplied were yet to be returned to its Nnewi Head Office (in Anambra State).

Osigwe also noted that IVM met all the specifications demanded by Petronella.

He restated: “Petronella Nigeria Limited ordered 20 units of Granite Diesel Pick Ups.

“We met the standard and basic specifications it demanded from us and provided every certification it requested for.

“After a while, surprisingly, rather than pay their outstanding, Petronella said it was returning the ones it took delivery of. “Then, given that we trust our quality and standard and that the vehicles are in high demand, we asked Petronella to return the vehicles to our factory in Nnewi so we will refund the purchase price paid, but up till this day, these vehicles are still in their possession.”