By Stevenie Michaels
The chairman of World Bank market Mr. Obed Agoha, has described as baseless, unfounded and false the derogatory cheap blackmail published on a certain local tabloid of Monday 20th November 2017 captioned;” Imo govt. Market renovation policy; world bank market stinks with monumental corruption aimed at rubbishing the integrity of the chairman, his executives, the Honourable House Member representing good people of Owerri and some other respectable government officials sponsored by Ichie best Mbanaso claiming in exaggeration that certain amount of money was collected from the traders and shop owners affected by the government initiated market reconstruction was misappropriated.
These allegations were aimed at diverting the attention of the traders who are now losing faith in his contract arrangement since he could not keep his 23 days completion promise. Instead, he is using the 10 million naira collected from the traders and shop owners which was supposed to be used in reconstruction of their shops to allegedly construct his personal shops on the other government land which is now on sale at four hundred and fifty thousand naira for open shop and one million five hundred thousand for lock up shops on a piece of land marked out for relocation of free zone trading in world bank market.
Mr Obed Agoha makes bold to say that he has the record of all payments made to him concerning the reconstruction of World Bank market and will be ready to tender it anywhere as evidence. He also cleared that it was agreed that at the end of the reconstruction, anyone who did not pay will have his shop locked up until he or she pays up to enable proper accountability, so how then would I have shared or eaten their money when I will account for it later “he retorted.
He said it is outrageous that Ichie Best Uche Mbanaso who was spreading unfounded rumors about corruption in World Bank market should infact look inwards as his four fingers are pointing at him when he was pointing just a single finger at the market executives as he (Ichie best Mbanaso) has a history of not keeping to contract agreement.
Mr Obed tendered legal documents of the transaction and even that of the litigations dated 9th September, 2008, 16th July, 21st September and 3rd December 2012 respectively used to ensure Ichie best Mbanaso to pay up the balance of money, all to no avail.
The Chairman, Mr Obed Agoha advises that Ichie best Mbanaso should please separate issue of land dispute from that of market reconstruction as he believes Mr Mbanaso is using the medium to get at him as a show of power. Mr. Obed expresses fear for his life as Ichie best Mbanaso now parades the market with unmarked SUVs and suspected armed men. The chairman, his executives and the entire traders and shop owners affected by the reconstruction hereby challenge Ichie best Mbanaso and his collaborators to present the proof of corruption and misappropriation of fund in any measure in connection with the publication, and show the proof of the effect of the ten million naira given to him by the World Bank market reconstruction committee.
