By Okey Alozie
The dust raised by the controversial N3.2bn worth of contract handed to a yet to be identified White Label Company has not rested as the former Principal Secretary to Rochas Okorocha when he was governor, Dr Paschal Obi opens more can of worms on the matter.
It would be recalled that at the witness box during cross examination by the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Contract Awards during Okorocha era, the former SUBEB chairman, Dr (Mrs) Uche Ejiogu explained how she gave N3.2bn to ex finance commissioner, Chike Okafor for White Label Company.
In an interview with our correspondent, Dr Obi, who is also a federal lawmaker revealed that the N3.2bn contract White Label Company handled didn’t emanate from Government House, Owerri.
According to Obi, he was the one who conveyed the contracts executed by Government House, Owerri but not aware that the contract awarded to White Label “emanated from Govt House”.
Obi said “as the task force chairman on project, I convey the governor’s message and nothing more.
Ejiogu had narrated how she was forced to pay a N3.2bn to the White Label Company through Okafor. The amount was part of the Action Plan Fund the FG gave to the states for SUBEB program.
In her words, “ when I returned from Abuja, I went straight to then governor Okorocha to show him the N5.4bn I came back with while I returned to my office. Thereafter, Chike Okafor came for the money forcing me to process a mandate for the payment of N3.2bn to White Label Company”.
