By Okey Alozie
Former principal secretary to Ex governor Rochas Okorocha, Hon Paschal Obi will on the 27 of June 2020 return to witness box of the judicial panel of inquiry on contracts in Imo state.
The former principal secretary earlier this year visited the panel to give testimony on the contract execution during Governor Okorocha’s era 2011 to 2019.
Hon Obi who was said to have played active role in most of the contract awarded during that era was recently discharged from the first subpoena given to him.
He is now going to appear again before the panel because some of the revelations made by his personal assistance, Mr Stanley Ewereaku who is also the owner of Zigreat Company Nigeria Ltd.
Stanly before now told the panel that he registered his company (Zigreat) in 2013 adding that the former principal secretary Paschal Obi asked him to submit the name of his company for the execution of contract.
Stanley said he obeyed his boss (Paschal Obi) but surprisingly Zigreat was only used to warehouse money for government officials and not for the execution of contracts in Imo.
He revealed that billions of naira came into his companies account and these money according to his revelation was shared according to the directive of his boss, Paschal Obi. He disclosed that towards the end of Okorocha’s era in Government House, his boss brought a book for him to sign and he did what his boss said in good faith.
Zigreat owner further revealed that when EFCC invited his company to come at Enugu, the then Governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha begged him to claim that Zigreat actually did all the contract that were listed.
He said he want to EFCC and told the anti graft agency lies in order to defend Okorocha and when he returned from the economic and financial crime commission (EFCC) Owelle Rochas Okorocha thanked him for the job well done.
He further said that Okorocha asked him to coach other contractors on how to tell lies. He also raised alarm that Federal Inland Revenue are not after him because of the big amount of money that passed through his company’s account in the name of contract.
He said the Federal Inland Revenue body want him to ply N100m as revenue for the federal government irrespective in respect to the whole contract that passed through his company Zigreat.
Stanly said he has objected to the payment of that money on the ground that he only shared money and not execution of contract.
Stanley before the probe panel admitted that what he did was fraud but maintained that it was Owelle Rochas Okorocha that made him to do so adding that he is now planning to go to EFCC and correct all the lies that he said there “what I said at this penal contradicts what I said EFCC” Zigreat owner stated.
Stanley who said he will also tell EFCC that he is a fraud, believed that he will be free after saying the truth.
“Am afraid but I will still say the truth in order to be free” he submitted.
He insisted that he was under pressure and duress then. He further revealed that he is no longer in talking terms with Okorocha since he started all these revelations.
The probe panel chairman, Justice Benjamin Iheaka at this point declared that the inquiry of the witness is hereby closed but he is not discharged on the matter on the ground that the principal secretary Paschal Obi will appear before the panel on the 27 of June for his own testimony.
