By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe
The Group Managing Director of the Eastern Waste Management Company (EWAMAC), Mr. Nick Samosvatov, has denied allegations of financial embezzlement and other acts of misconduct levelled against him and the company’s management by the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Hope Uzodimma, Mr. Ambrose Nwogwugwu.
Samosvatov described the allegations as false, baseless and a witch-hunt designed to tarnish his image and portray EWAMAC in a negative light.
Nwogwugwu, in a post on his verified Facebook page titled “EWAMAC Under Nick Samosvatov: A Scandal of Waste, Theft, and Sabotage that Government Must Stop Now,” accused the management of EWAMAC of sabotaging the Shared Prosperity administration through alleged financial mismanagement, diversion of funds, non-payment of workers and contractors, sale of government assets, wastefulness and operational inefficiency.
He also called for the suspension of the current management, a thorough investigation into the company’s activities and an audit of the alleged ₦500 million reportedly released by the Imo State Government to support the company’s operations.
Part of the post read: “EWAMAC was brought in partnership with the Imo State Government to handle waste management. Two months ago, the government released ₦500 million to keep the company running as part of the partnership. Today, the offices are overgrown with weeds, contractors are unpaid, workers are owed salaries, and there is no money for daily operations.”
Responding while speaking with journalists in Owerri, Samosvatov dismissed the allegations as fabricated and deliberately intended to mislead the public.
He said his decision to respond was necessary to prevent members of the public from being swayed by what he described as misinformation and disinformation deliberately circulated to manipulate public opinion.
According to him, his priority remains ensuring that Imo State becomes the cleanest state in Nigeria, adding that he would not be distracted from achieving that objective.
Samosvatov highlighted several achievements recorded within four months of assuming office, including the clearance of salary backlogs, increased waste collection across the state, internal reorganisation and the procurement of operational equipment, including heavy-duty machines and bulldozers, to improve waste management services.
He thanked Governor Hope Uzodimma for the opportunity to serve and reiterated his commitment to delivering efficient services that meet the expectations of both the government and the people of Imo State.
“My job is to make sure that Imo State is the cleanest state in Nigeria. I’m happy that Imo residents are appreciating what we are doing. That is an encouragement for me,” Samosvatov said, while comparing the state of waste management before his administration with current conditions.
He also rejected claims that he undertook actions without the approval of the EWAMAC Board, insisting that all major decisions had received the necessary board approval and followed due process.
Also reacting, the EWAMAC Board Member in charge of Operations, Mr. Nnamdi Gogo Okwuosa, alleged that Nwogwugwu’s criticism stemmed from the termination of his media consultancy contract with the company.
According to Okwuosa, the consultancy arrangement, which reportedly cost EWAMAC ₦1.5 million monthly, was discontinued as part of efforts to reduce operational costs and reposition the organisation.
“He used to be a media consultant for EWAMAC and his contract was terminated because it no longer made financial sense to pay him ₦1.5 million monthly. We came to clean up the system, cut costs and eliminate unnecessary expenses. Following the termination of the contract, he became angry and resorted to this smear campaign because his source of income had been cut off,” Okwuosa alleged.
Okwuosa, who was also mentioned in Nwogwugwu’s allegations, denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the management of EWAMAC remains committed to the vision of Governor Uzodimma’s Shared Prosperity administration.
He urged residents of Imo State to disregard what he described as false allegations and continue supporting the company’s efforts to keep the state clean and promote a healthier environment.
