The perpetual neglect to Due Process and constitutional provisions to award of contracts have turned to be the greatest albatross of the Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha government in Imo State as no period passes without the state government enmeshed in fraud-related allegations.
With the dust raised by the infamous JPross N458m yet to settle, another eye-popping scandal running into several billions is again rocking the state government.
After the tinge of drama that trailed accusations levelled against the impeached Deputy Governor, Sir Jude Agbaso over allegations that he allegedly collected N458m bribe from a construction firm handling road in the state, JPross, another melodrama is about to be witnessed in Imo state.
While later discoveries indicated that the alleged N458m bribe said to have been collected by Agbaso was traced to banks in Dubai and Lebanon through money-laundering devices, a fresh money-laundering case is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Trumpeta learnt that the fresh investigation from the anti-graft body arose from petitions from some organisations and bodies lamenting the indiscriminate award of contracts in Imo state without recourse to Due Process and accepted Tenders Board regulations.
Relying on a petition from Save Imo Group of Democrats, in a petition to the fraud-fighting Commission, operatives of EFCC are reported to be working on the alleged misappropriate acts and subsequent diversion of the state fund to overseas through phoney projects.
Efforts to confirm from EFCC about their resumed investigation of the activities of Imo state government proved abortive as the phone lines of the spokesperson, Wilson Uwajeren remained unavailable but a source working with the Commission in the South East disclosed that its operatives are working on several complaints about expenditures and movements of funds from Imo State to other places, like overseas.
The fresh petition loaded with stupendous allegations had it that since Okorocha came into power, his regime has specific multi-billion naira “fake projects” which was allegedly used to move Imo money to untraceable sources. The group noted that contrary to standard practice, all the projects and contracts were not advertised and bided for, thereby failing to pass through Tender’s Board before award.
According to the Save Imo Group of Democrats, to facilitate fraud and corruption negotiation, cost and awards of contracts were solely the responsibility of the Governor, which saw a particular Italian Company, (names withheld) getting the nod to execute three contracts; the proposed 24-storey building, 7 Star Hotels called Crystal Hotels, the Ecumenical Center and Monumental Tower called “Akachi”. While the Crystal Hotels has a make-belief site on Owerri-PortHarcourt Road close to Peace Center (Anglican Secondary School) Tower and Ecumenical Center who lost out of the Area K (World Bank) land squabble have no site for execution of the project.
Information available to Trumpeta revealed that the three contracts were jointly awarded to the tune of N18bn and as at December 2011, the company had been paid N5bn through one of the popular commercial Bank handling Imo state finances. The contract and project was said to be facilitated by the State Ministry of Housing. To confirm this development, Governor Okorocha in one of his addresses to the people of the state to mark his second year anniversary publicly pronounced that the said company has received about 50% of the contract sum which amounts to N9bn.
The group invited the EFCC to investigate the process of award of contract and empirical evidences that despite 50% of amount extended to the contractor nothing at the affected sites can justify that an expenditure of N1bn has been spent for the projects. Save Imo Group of Democrats however request EFCC to probe the payment and subsequent designation to justify the huge amount spent so far on the non-existent projects.
It would be recalled that a Spanish was involved in altercation with the state government over contract sum running into millions of Naira while Chief Osita Okereke of Nnutaoch ventures is still having a running battle with state Government over the termination of his contract running into billions of Naira by the Okorocha administration.
