In contrast to the belief in several quarters that the bone of contention in the raging bribery scandal involving the sacked Deputy Governor of Imo State, Sir Jude Agbaso and JPross International Ltd, a construction company handling a road project in Imo is the controversial N458m bribe, it can be revealed there is more to the “messy deal” between the Imo state government and the firm.
The polity in Imo state has been in the upscale following a report of ad hoc committee of the Imo State House of Assembly which found removed Agbaso guilty of collecting N458m bribe from Joseph Dina of JPross. In the process, the state legislature commenced impeachment process which culminated in Agbaso’s ouster last week.
While the members of the Imo State House of Assembly as well as the 7-man special committee bothered to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of Jude Agbaso’s culpability taking into consideration Joseph Dina’s claims, the issue of the total cost of the contention contract for road project, amount paid so far by the state government and quantity of work executed was swept under the carpet by the investigating panels and the state government.
Official report of the House Special Ad hoc Committee to investigate the remote cause(s) of stoppage/abandonment of work on some roads in Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe municipalities headed by Hon Iwunze states that evaluated quantity of work done by JPross in the contract for the construction of 3 No. Roads warehouse, Orlu Road Junction Odunze Street and Amaigbo Street Old Nekede Road amounts to N195, 276, 870.
The evaluated work of JPross according to Mr. Ike Maduabuchi, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Works and Transport which was presented to the Iwunze Committee was not up to N200m representing 10% of the amount paid by the state government.
It will be recalled that JPross had earlier expressed interest for the job at the sum of N1,312,106,874 (One billion three hundred and twelve million naira but renegotiated downwards from the One Billion three hundred and twelve million naira to one Billion and one Hundred and fifty one hundred and six Thousand, eight hundred and seventy four naira but the contract was renegotiated downwards after N200m first advance payment of the job was removed, this brought the total sum of the contract to One Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira, the first advance payment of N200m inclusive of the total sum which JPross accepted in writing.
Further investigations revealed that since the value of job executed so far by JPross is valued at about N190m and 100% payment has been made, JPross may have defrauded Imo state government to the tune of N900m.
Meanwhile, a non governmental organization, Movement for Better Ndi Imo, has asked Special Adviser to the Governor and Chairman of the state government committee on project committee, Prince Macdonald Akano to resign with immediate effect for dishonourable acts.
According to a statement signed by Sir Uche Ndukuba and Comrade Barth Peters, Chairman and Secretary respectively, Akano should hide himself in shame and make haste to evade disgrace from office as a political aide to Okorocha.
The group noted that Akano has the moral burden to answer; reports indicate he is a Director of JPross and even became a member of the Board after picking political appointment.
While stating that it was morally wrong for Akano to earn allowances from two organizations at the same time, the group claimed that his involvement in JPross speaks volume of corruption rubbing the shine of the Owelle Rochas Okorocha government.
The group insisted that the Government of Governor Rochas Okorocha should brave the tide to openly tell Imolites the whereabout of the sum of N900m being the difference from the controversial N458m and the N195.2m value of work done by JPross since the state government has paid 100% of the contract sum to the company.
