Tension has enveloped communities in Ohaji clan of Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo following the manner a project fund meant for electrification of the area was reportedly diverted to other projects.
Trumpeta recalls that in 2019 after pressures from the youths and residents concerning provision of basic amenities like electricity to people of the oil rich Ohaji clan, especially those of Awarra, Assa, Obile, Ochia where the multi- billion gas and petroleum project is going on, who have been in darkness without public power supply for ages, an oil prospecting firm, Waltersmith offered to partner with government to provide the power supply.
Trumpeta learnt that the electricity project estimated to cost about #450m saw the company provide an initial #114m to government for the electricity project.
With the change of government in the state in 2020, Trumpeta learnt that the #114m money which was paid into the coffers of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, ISOPADEC grew winds which prompted the youth body of Ohaji people; the National Congress of Ohaji Youths, NACOY to raise eyebrows about the discontinuation of the projection and subsequent disappearance of the money from the account of the interventionist agency.
Disturbed by the development, the NACOY persistently protested how the electricity project was stuck and money nowhere to be found.
This newspaper further learnt that the protest of the youths prompted the release of the #114m from government to ISOPADEC purse few months ago.
Trouble however started when the government agency who failed to pay for their counterpart funding as expected after Waltersmith had doled out initial#144m for the electricity project, decided to divert the money for other projects not initially captured.
According to information available to this newspaper, the inability of the state government through ISOPADEC to pay for its part of the counterpart fund for the project after the initial Waltersmith money.
It was learnt that based on claims that only #144m of Waltersmith can’t fund the electricity project, ISOPADEC summoned meeting of community heads and traditional rulers and agreed to embark on other projects like building of security house and van, renovation of town hall, fencing of town hall, solar street lights and boreholes.
Also, the money was injected into the repair of some electricity facility on the Owerri- Porthacourt road line for Mgbirichi, Umuagwo and Umuapu communities of Ohaji who have been in darkness this year since thunderstorm wrecked havoc on the installation March this year.
Trumpeta learnt that the decision to divert the money into other projects than electricity has also injected schism among the youths who decry the inability of the state government through the ISOPADEC to pay for the counterpart fund.
Trumpeta learnt that instead of injecting their fund into the electricity project, ISOPADEC now used the Waltersmith money to execute other projects the money wasn’t initially budgeted for in the initial plan.
Trumpeta was the only medium who exposed the missing #144m and wrote on the displeasure of the youths of the area on the missing money.
