Imo Panel of Inquiry: Ex-Okorocha’s aide sings, says Contractor bolted away with about N40 billion

According to the biblical injunction, there will certainly be a day of reckoning when every deeds shall be accounted for.

The miniature of such day is playing out in Imo as the Judicial Commission of Inquiry opens books of contracts under Rochas Okorocha administration. Unfortunately, it seems to be a venture into the land of the dead garnished with can of worms.

According to the Nation, it reported that former Principal Secretary to former Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and member representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, Dr. Paschal Obi, has told the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Contracts awarded between 2011 -2019 that a contractor for a project designated ‘Sundry Capital Project’ at Area K World Bank, Owerri absconded without executing the $110 million (N39.6 billion) project.

Recall that at the inception of his administration, Okorocha had boasted he would build a skyscaper hotel called Akachi at area K, world bank, Owerri Imo State despite the resistance from Owerri nchi ise and their Umuguma brothers. As time went on, nobody heard about both Akachi and whatever transpired underneath.

However, it was allegedly mentioned that another parcel of land was allegedly secured along Port Harcourt Road Owerri around Avu this parcel of land was said to have discorvered to have been parcelated for family, friends, political associates and well wishers.

Today, what is known as Akachi is noetheless a mockery statue against God Almighty.

Meanwhile, at a resumed sitting of the Judicial Commission at the weekend, Dr. Obi who also signed the contract award letter without the contractor signing the contract agreement, disclosed that the contractor bolted with the funds given to him for the project without executing the contract.

He also disclosed women of Owerri community stopped the project from take off, adding the contractor had since taken the state government to court over the project.

The panelists discovered that most of the major contracts awarded under the Okorocha administration did not have contract agreements executed by the government and the contractors while contract sums were fully paid for.

The commission also realised that some of the contracts did not have case files despite their values being in billions while others were fully paid for without executing the contracts.

But, answering questions from a witness box, Obi, who personally signed the contracts as the chairman of the Government House Task Force Projects Committee, expressed surprise that the contractors did not sign contract agreements and still received payments from his office.

He disclosed that the Task Force committee headed by him replaced the State Tenders Board.

Responding to a question on why the sum of N650 million was paid each for construction of the new ministries of transport and lands offices without the contract being awarded while the building could not be found anywhere in the state, the witness said he was not in a position to know the projects executed because he was not in charge of project inspection.

He disclosed that Okorocha was in charge of projects inspection and should be held responsible for any substandard projects or ones paid for but not executed.

On why some of the contracts, like the internal roads in Ihitte Uboma local government area and a project designated as Sunrise Park were not listed in any files as contracts awarded despite billions of naira paid for them, Obi also expressed surprise, saying he did not know the locations.

The commission also discovered that in January 2013, a contract was awarded for the construction of Egbeada-Afor Umuaka Road at the cost of N2.4 billion at the recommendation of the committee led by the then Secretary to the Government of Imo State but was curiously cancelled and re-awarded to another contractor at the cost of N3.6 billion two weeks later by Obi.

But Obi’s response to that was that he was only a civil servant and was bound to carry out instructions given him by the Governor.

He however stated that there were new bill of quantity from another contractor that jerked up the price.

It was equally discovered that the contract for the new state High Court Complex was awarded in three different titles — Justice Oputa High Court Complex; Imo State Judiciary Headquarters and Imo State Judiciary Complex– with monies paid for each of them in billions.

Obi insisted that the projects were in existence and that the contracts were given to three different contractors who he said delivered.

He added that there was need to get the architectural designs from the Ministry of Works to confirm their existence.

Also, the commission discovered that the principal secretary received several billions of naira from the office of the Accountant General of the state without being tied to any project.

For instance, the commission discovered from the records that on May 21, 2014, the principal secretary received N5 billion, N2 billion, N1 billion, N800 million and several others same day without tying them to projects.

Obi insisted majority of the payments made from his office were tied to contracts, disclosing that any money given to his office had 100 percent approval from the Governor.

Recall that such contracts were said to have been awarded for Princess Hotel, Okigwe and Prince Hotel of Law.

According to sources, it was alleged that contract sums were paid in full. With this Commission of Inquiry, we beleive that they should also beam their searchlight that way.