BY OKEY ALOZIE.
The Judicial panel of inquiry, sitting at high court nine Owerri on Wednesday grill the Director Imo fire service Mr Japhet Okereafor on the contracts claimed to have be executed during the rescue mission period (2011-2019).
Okereafor who said he has worked with imo fire service over 21years stated that the new headquarters located along OKigwe road was not fully constructed as claimed adding that the structure that is present at the headquarters has defection due to bad Engineering work done at the place,he revealed that there are lot of cracks at the building coupled with leaking roof which made it dangerous for workers to stay inside the building especially when there is rainfall also disclosed that no equipment was supplied at the headquarters for the place to function effectively. Japhet regretted why government did not consider it necessary to connect the building to NEPA for it to get power supply for water pumping and other neccessities.
In his words” the house ( fire service headquarters at OKigwe road)is uncompleted,the work was done half hazarding, before entry the place I complained to the governor for the ugent need to put that building in order and equip the offices properly,even the training facilities were not provided by the rescue mission government lead by Owelle Rochas Okorocha no power supply,no water moreover I was not part of the arrangement.
I recommended that the zonal offices should go back to where the came from instead of clustering at the headquarters,” he revealed. He also disclosed that owerri zonal office at Mbaise road was given to federal fire service adding that the state headquarters of fire service located at OKigwe road was not commissioned at all.
Japhet decleared that as a professional of hardard management,” those that handled the job at the Headquarters building did not do well and the money claimed to have spended on the building is not justified.
Information revealed that over 2,99million was spent at the building so far. Many Imolites doubted this amount claimed to have been spend on that project moreover it was said that staff of the headquarters came into the building empty as there was no property or functional service equipment there, we also gathered from Japhet that the person who handled the job was late Chief Akano at this junction the Chairman of the probe panel Justice Benjamin iheaka adjourned the matter till next week for further Inquiry.
