By anthony anyanwu
As part of the of his image cleasing exercise, the deposed number two man in Imo state, Sir Jude Agbaso has accused his former boss, Owelle Rochas Okorocha of paying JPRos the sum of N200m (Two Hundred Million Naira) even before the company applied for the Governor’s approval of the contract.
Reacting on his current travails which necessitated his impeachment by Members of the Imo State House of Assembly Agbaso stated that he is a victim of a cabal who want to perpetually remain in Douglas House Owerri.
In an interview, Sir Agbaso said that it is very unfortunate that Imo people have a Governor who does not believe in due process especially as it affects execution of contracts. He explained that the normal way contracts are awarded and executed is that when a contract is awarded to any contractor, money is normally paid to the supervising Ministry’s bank account.
Thereafter, that certificates of work done are raised upon which vouchers are also raised and application made for payment to the contractor. Agbaso said that such procedure was contrary to what happened in the JPross and other contracts within the state where the Governor will directly pay the contractors from the Government House without the supervising ministry’s approval.
According to him, the greatest problem which has faced the people of the state is the Governor’s lack of respect for due process in running the administration pointing out that “everybody knows that Governor Okorocha does not follow due process when awarding contracts and the Governor prides with it”
Explaining his handicap in the Ministry of Works which he once supervised, Agbaso said, “I didn’t have control over a governor that doesn’t follow due process. I have always clamoured for due process in government business. I know that if due process had been followed, the JPross would have been strictly supervised by the government to avert the contract scam”.
Agbaso who insists that he is an innocent victim of injustice and wickedness said that it is unfortunate that, “The governor in his usual way hoodwinked some simpleton minded people, the State Legislature, the Chief Judge and the panel to impeach me unlawfully”.
He made it clear that he will remain in the part of honour and justice until the whole truth about the N459 million contract scam is proved to the whole world.
