By onyekachi eze
What could be referred to as in-house bickering is rocking one of the Imo state Government owned agencies known as Imo Water Development Agency (IWADA) as the ex-General Manager, Engr. Emeka C. Ugoanyanwu and his successor, Amb. Clinton Obiyo are at daggers drawn over the purported allegation of sale of the Agency’s equipment.
Investigation carried out by Trumpeta on the said matter at the IWADA office, Okigwe road Owerri, indicate that the said allegation of auctioning the agency’s equipment were all false as Amb. Obiyo disclosed with total dismay that for the past 2 months of assumption after the reshufflement by Governor Okorocha, he has not removed any of the left equipment which he referred to as “useless scraps”.
He lamented that his predecessor handed him over without leaving any working equipment belonging to the Agency in good shape, instead Obiyo asked Ugoanyanwu to give account of some apparatus before leaving office. He added that instead Ugoanyanwu leaving office the way it should be, he left with the driver which he said was against the ethics of the civil service commission, stressing that when he called his predecessor to return the official car and driver he made away with, he resorted to going to the Deputy Governor and wrote a letter through the SSG’s office.
Obiyo disclosed that out of the 51 approved and paid off equipment donated by the state Government to IWADA, what he was able to see were the serviceable compressor, and the water tank also in no good working condition. He opined that the alleged rumour that he sold off the equipment wasn’t true pointing that he only asked for the caterpillars to know how much it would take to remove the scraps left as equipment, which he submitted that the Agency exorbitant sum of over N1.2m to evacuate the scraps which he said he turned down because of the high price, pointing out that the Governor had earlier paid hugely for the removal before he came to the agency.
According to the new GM, he averred that luckily for him, Governor Okorocha whom he said usually pays a visit to the Agency decided to assist in removing the degraded equipment in company. He opined that he never gave the instruction for the removal of the equipment nor knew the whereabout of where they were taken to.
However, he pointed that nothing left by his predecessor was useful that could even attract auction thereby stating that anybody with such claims against him should be severely queried, promising to rebrand and restructure the Agency and warned the masses to be constructive in their criticisms.
When contacted, on phone, Egnr. Ugoanyanwu stated that he has nothing to say nor to face the press, but will only open up in the court if the need arise.
“Please I do not grant press interviews, more so when the issue concerns auction in IWADA. Otherwise contact the supervising Commissioner/Ministry of Public Utilities”. Ugoanyanwu texed.
