It would have been suicidal for me, if my regular Thursday back page column “Agwodinuju” did not make appearance this week. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to come on board and the back page was donated to a regular columnist in Trumpeta and somebody I will always describe as a “ferrous writer” Prof Uzoma Protus Nathan. Incidentally, the day the back page was ceded to him happened to be the day he tried to take his pound of flesh from my very good friend and successor in the Imo State House of Assembly, Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha.
After Prof Uzoma’s initial salvo against the Speaker, Rt Hon Ben Uwajumogu on the cross-carpeting saga, Samuelson, who happens to be his media aide, launched an offensive before another counter-attack from the Prof which took over my page. One thing is obvious in argument between two or more people; there may be no agreement but those involved will be better informed. The attacks and counter attacks were interesting and more acceptable than threats which seemed to be the fashion of some elements scared by truths and constructive critism.
Some who were not able to my face called to inquire if I have relinguished the page. I explained that I was indisposed as I was not available for a greater part of last week to meet production deadline. I even informed them that my topic; Ugochi Nnanna-Okoro; A political Amazon or Goddess of Owerri West was at advanced stage before the production informed me that it was late which necessitated the slotting of Prof Protus Uzoma column in absence of Agwodinuju.
As I settled to conclude matters arising from verbal expression of Lady Nnanna-Okoro, the Commissioner for Community Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to Governor Okorocha said that PDP will not win elections again in her Owerri West domain, my dear state was getting set for an epic political battle among the front runners in the APGA government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha. Taking into consideration, the fact that Lady Nnanna-Okoro otherwise known as the “Lady of the Masses” was a foundation member of PDP, held positions as State Woman Leader, New Face Organization (former Gov Ikedi Ohakim’s campaign outfit) Coordinator, PDP Owerri Zone Senatorial aspirant in 2011, and National Woman Leader gunner publicly declared that it is Nunc Dimitis for the party in her locality because she has joined APGA, it is important to know the reasons for the premature permutations. Before delving into that issue, I felt it was necessary to contribute my stake in the ongoing brouhaha on the alleged N458m rocking the state where the state Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso is at the receiving end of impeachment threat from members of the Imo state House of Assembly.
My brief knowledge about Jude, the younger brother of seasoned politician Martin Agbaso shows that he is a political neophyte who rode on the brother’s back to grab the number two position in the state. Martin was the APGA gubernatorial front runner in 2011 before the eventual candidate and winner Okorocha emerged from nowhere to be the flag bearer. To many observers of political developments in Imo State an inter face and mutual arrangement between the Agbasos and Okorocha saw the younger Jude became running mate to the later. The rest is history.
With few months to their second year anniversary, there is fire on the mountain, and it is no longer run, run, run, but scatter, scatter, scatter. It will not be an overstatement that it had been rosy between the Governor and his Deputy until recently when the infamous JPros Gate Scam instituted disaffection between them. At the birth of this administration, Okorocha not only appointed Jude Agbaso Commissioner for a juicy ministry; Works, he also made the Deputy’s wife a special aide, Senior Special Assistant, SSA to the first lady of the state, Mrs Nkechi Okorocha. The blissful romance between Okorocha and the Agbasos led to the appointment of many Emekuku Owerri North born indigenes into political positions. These concentrated appointment raised dust and envy from other Owerri North, Owerri West and Municipal Communities who decried the Agbasonisation of appointments due to Owerri Federal Constituency.
The rosy relationship turned sour, no thanks to members of the Imo State House of Assembly who could be said to have launched “scud and ballistic missiles” at the harmonistic structures binding Okorocha and the Agbasos. Their splitting deft touches manifested last week following the report of House Special Ad hoc committee to investigate the remote causes of stop page/abandonment of work on some roads in Owerri, Orlu and Okigwe municipalities. The Imo State Government had six months ago set up a state and Local Government Joint monitoring committee to monitor the construction of roads in the three zones of the state. The committee was chaired by the member representing Orsu State Constituency, and one of the present House members I have regard for, Bro Stan Dara. Dara’s committee on Wednesday 20 February, 2013 submitted a report on the progress or otherwise, made so far on the execution of road contracts awarded to some contractors in the state. He reported on the slow pace of work by both Messrs JPros International Nig Ltd and Timik Construction Coy in Owerri and Orlu municipalities respectively. In the view of Dara’s committee, the Warehouse Orlu Road Junction, Odunze-Aba road, Amaigbo street to Old Nekede Road and Dualization of Orlu main town and in view of the flaws noticed by the committee which was presented to the House, the Speaker of the House constituted a six-man special ad hoc committee to investigate the matter and report to the House on Tuesday 24th February 2013.
The Speaker while inaugurating the members comprising Ikenna Emeh, (Isu), Greg Okemili (Oru East), Innocent Ekeh (Owerri West), Kingsley Dimaku (Ehime), Samuel Anyanwu (Ikeduru), and Iwunze as Chairman charged them to obtain letters/approval, certificate of work done, total contract sum, amount paid so far, who made the approvals for the payments, extent of physical job done with pictures/evaluation and the possibility of the contractor fulfilling his contractual agreement or otherwise. Report have it that the committee swung into action and concluded its work after obtaining oral testimonies from Sir Agbaso who acted as Commissioner for Works before he was relieved of the position recently. The Governor’s Principal Secretary, Dr Paschal Obi, represents work’s commissioner; Nick Opara Ndudi and his finance counterpart, Chike Okafor, others who appeared before the committee were the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, his Directors/Line Officers, Accountant General of the state, representatives of JPross and Timik firms.
At the end of the exercise, the Committee according to its report submitted during plenary session of the House among other things holds the view that “The evidence before it is consistent with facts that Mr Joseph Dina of JPross International Nig Ltd transferred the total sum of N458,000,000.00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Eight Million Naira) only in two installments to accounts nominated by the Deputy Governor, Jude Agbaso” and the Committee also holds the view that the payments of N458m by JPross out of the N1.035,000,000.00 (One Billion, Thirty Five Million Naira) only received by the contractor was the sole cause of abandonment of work on the project in question. The committee also holds that the “defenses put forward by the Deputy Governor were totally inconsistent with the facts and documentary evidence brought before the committee. He lied over matters within his personal knowledge and thereby put his credibility in doubt in the eye of the committee.
After the findings, the committee having weighed the evidences before it recommended that a vote of no confidence be passed on the Deputy Governor for acts unbecoming of his person and office among other issues raised. Moments after the report was adopted, an impeachment process began on the floor of the House after ten members of APGA faction signed the notice of impeachment. These inactions and actions have stirred the polity and ignited reverberating political war tones in the state noted for peaceful disposition.
For the avoidance of doubt, my commentary in this raging issue will be devoid of partisan proclivity and sectional colouration as I am not a pen mercantilist hired by any of the warring groups for a hatchet job.
My views are independent as I can neither be the mouth piece of ethnic jingoist given the matter a zonal colouration nor Okorocha and Imo State House of Assembly sympathizer. When Okorocha picked Agbaso junior as running mate, I belong to the cadre that branded it a marriage of inconveniences as Okorocha and the Agbasos are unarguably strange bed fellows brought together by political necessity and circumstances. Even when the going was good, I predicted that it would soon crash before 2015 because of clash of interest. Whether my political forecast has materialized or not, the fact remains that a wide gulf has emerged in the Okorocha – Agbaso pact.
However, it is imperative to take another look at the issue at stake; the N458m JPross contract scam, the role of Imo Assembly and Okorocha’s connection. I will first knock at the Assembly report submitted by Committed led by the highly revered and seasoned lawmaker of great repute, Iwunze. I have my respect for Iwunze for obvious reasons. I stand to be challenged that Iwunze is an intelligent lawmaker, resolute and vibrant, no wander he is fondly called “the Cicero” of the House. During the last dispensation when I was a key observer in Assembly Complex as Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, I spotted Iwunze among the pack as a real “distinguished” legislator with strong passion for law making and constitutional observation. He was the Senior Advocate of the House. Lucky to make the second missionary journey, Iwunze continued his tactical and legislative finesse prompting Speaker Uwajumogu to consider him as one of the power brokers and porized lawmakers in the present House. Despite party differences, I was informed that the man popularly known as “Whiteman” will always wriggle the state legislature out from legislative puzzles and difficulties. I heaved a sigh relief and was confident that the probe committee will do a good job. However, there are many questions than answers of the report of the committee is brought to public security as there are discrepancies there in. Without bias, denying the fact that the embattled Deputy is not guilty as charged by the lawmakers, it is worthy to point out that the Probe Committee and entire House Members are economical with the truth of the whole drama. Except the Probe Committee wanted to fish out the bribe taker, it would have asked questions on legitimacy of the contract; was due process followed and the pedigree of JPross in road construction to warrant award of contract worth over 1bn. My little knowledge about governance shows that every state has a Tender Board under the supervision of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG. Apart from SSG’s Tenders Board, there are relevant offices catering issues related to Due Process, Prince Intelligence and even a House Standing Committee on Due Process. Did the Iwunze Probe Committee dwell on these issues before unmasking the Deputy Governor as bribe-taker? Like Ndigbo will say “Onye amaghi ebe mmiri siri mawa ya agaghi ama ebe okwusiri” meaning anyone who does not know where the rain started to drench him/her will never know where it stopped.
I expect the Probe Committee to do a thorough job before unmasking the so called “kick-back and kick-front thieves” yes it is a good job but it is flawed because of salient questions raised on due process and identity of contractors. In due process which Tenders Board tries to protect, the profile, identity, financial capabilities and otherwise of a company is submitted for perusal during proposals. If these conditions are not met by those in charge or concerned authorities before award of contract and mobilization, those involved should also be exposed and brought to public glare for appropriate sanctions, if need be. The target should not only be who took our N458m and how but also the processes that guaranteed the financial mess. The lawmakers should know that Imo people are enlightened and mentally equip to detect flaws in the report.
Another crucial factor that is silent in the report is the true identity of JPross. How did Joseph Dina, a name not familiar to our indigenous nomendature found its way to handle a contract in Owerri? Who brought the firm? How did it bid for the job? Their investigation and proper exposure of JPross would have made the report a master piece than the “cut and sow” job that singled out some people in the inglorious revelation. Because of space, I stop here hoping to continue next week. Till then lets see how Imo Assembly and the Deputy Governor flex muscles.
