By Onyekachi Eze
Consultants on development control in Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) have debunked totally a newspaper publication of the “Nigeria Newsprint, Vol. 11 No 225, Monday, June 22-23, 2015” with the banner headline, “Okorocha Must Stop Task Force In OCDA ─ Staff”.
Investigations made by this paper revealed that the OCDA workers resorted to fighting the consultants because of their zeal to continue in their hideous acts of misappropriation and looting which raised the acrimony leading to fighting them that they are closing their jobs embedded in fraud.
It was further revealed that the embattled consultants since their coming on board in August 2011 have contributed positively to the development of OCDA and the state at large, counting from the purchase of Hilux Vans, Trucks and other vital gadgets needed for the smooth running of the agency. Facts have it that all these feats achieved by the consultants were made from the revenue generated.
However, the consultants requested the state government led by Governor Rochas Okorocha to investigate the OCDA staff who are parading themselves as cartels, boasting of being above scrutiny and development, thereby feeding fat with the monies realised by them (consultants) illegally. According to them, no staff from any parastatal is supposed to be aware of government fund and how it is utilised, but all of them at OCDA know because of their alleged fraudulent operations.
Some of the consultants who spoke to Trumpeta said, “OCDA is a government development department, and no developer built his house or properties without certified approval from authorities, but that they discovered that for over ten to fifteen years, developers have been coming to OCDA and after submitting their drawings, they go and build their houses without approval because they were coming with staff of OCDA who claim they are untouchables”.
On a similar note, it was disclosed that 50% of the developed areas belong to OCDA staff, with over hundreds of millions of naira lying fallow at the account department of the authority as a result of conspiracy between property developers and staff of OCDA which the consultants are fighting against, thereby creating fair play in the discharge of duties.
More so, the consultants are said to have intercepted forged receipts in connection with illegal funds from OCDA staff. Though the general manager, Emma Ugorji is exonerated from the clandestine business going on in the place. About 50% of the developed areas were allegedly discovered to belong to the staffers.
Meanwhile, some of the consultants who spoke under anonymity reassured of their readiness in exposing the bad eggs in OCDA who have vowed to destabilised the peace and working conditions of the authority, requesting the governor to look into the internally generated revenue (IGR) realised by them since 2011 and find out who should be penalised whether they the (consultants) or the OCDA staff themselves.
They further said they will work in synergy with the task force or any agency set up by the governor to develop the state.
