COMANCLEM dies * We owe him not, says Exxon Mobil BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

* Controversy over corpse

The inventor of the Anti-Corrosive Special Paint QIT and the MD/CEO of COMANCLEM Nigeria Limited, Professor Clement John Uwemedimo is dead, THE INK can authoritatively report.

THE INK gathered that he died at his Aka Idak Eyop residence in Uyo last week after a brief illness. According to a family source who spoke on grounds of anonymity to our reporter, registered patentees have been trouping into the deceased compound to confirm the incident.

Our source expressed shock over the demise of the late Prof. Uwemedimo and hinted that the patentees have vowed to seize all properties owned by the deceased which they claimed to be their hard-end money registered with COMANCLEM Nigeria Limited— a firm which had been in a court case with Mobil Producing Nigeria Limited for the right of the inventor of the Anti-Corrosive Special Paint QIT, a product which the deceased claimed to have discovered in 1980.

THE INK further gathered that the demise of the soil scientist has caused the relocation of his properties by his family members as the patentees have vowed to claim them in order to retrieve their money.

It was also gathered that shortly after his death, a group of people believed to be cultists stormed the compound to demand for his corpse thus, causing pandemonium. It was not however clear whether the corpse was taken by the cult group or retained by the family as at the time of filing this report. 

Meanwhile, speculations are high that Exxon Mobil will not pay compensation to the deceased family. A statement from the Public Affairs Manager, Mr. Akaninyene Esiere indicates that “the Supreme Court dismissed his case for lack of merit so; there is no basis for compensation”.