By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The Abia State Government has vowed that it will explore all lawful avenues available to locate and retrieve all funds and properties of the State either looted and/or misappropriated in the last few years .
This is just as Governor Alex Otti has emphasised that the institution of an Inquisition into the financial records of Abia State through the appointment of an Audit Panel, as well as the findings recently made concerning misappropriation of funds by the immediate past regime is not aimed at witchhunting and/or persecution of perceived foes.
But Chief John Okiyi Kalu, former Commissioner for Information in the immediate past administration in the State ,has insisted that the Forensic Audit exercise and its purported findings are driven by Governor Otti’s ,deep seated hatred and disdain for his immediate predecessor in office, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu.
The Source reports that mid last month, while delivering a lecture at the famous John Hopkins University, United States of America, USA, the Abia State Governor had revealed that findings by Forensic Auditors commissioned to examine the financial records of the state between 2015 and 2023 revealed that a whopping 107 billion were siphoned from Abia Treasury under the guise of paying for a non-existent State Airport and other phantom projects .
He specifically noted that the sum of N10 billion was claimed to have been paid by the former Governor Ikpeazu administration for the construction of unknown Abia state Airport,as well as about N97 billion paid to 72 nebulous contractors .
The Abia state Governor who spoke on Sunday, May 5, 2024, at an interactive session with stakeholders from his Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area said that the report of the audit panel revealed that a lot of the State’s funds were looted brazenly through payments for non- existent Airport and other projects, adding that the primary objective for the audit panel is to recover looted funds to facilitate the funding of developmental projects.
“I established the Forensic Audit of the State Accounts as soon as I was sworn-in and the report has turned out to show that a lot of money was looted ,stolen brazenly and part of the one I mentioned was the Abia Airport project.
“I am looking for the airport for which funds were moved from the coffers of the Government. The people concerned with moving the airport project funds in question went to the media and began to say all manner of things .
“If you are following the happenings in the media space, you will see these things there. The problem with lying is that when you tell one lie, you will need another one to cover the first lie and need three more lies to cover the second one.
“We are looking for our money, and we must find our money. If we can’t, don’t, find the airport , then they will refund our money” Governor Otti stated .
But in a statement issued on Sunday, May 5, Chief okiyi, said although an initial plan was made for the construction of Abia Airport to be financed with a loan facility of N10 billion from the United Bank for Africa UBA, the idea was, however, jettisoned in the face of superior position of some stakeholders ,led by the Abia state Council of Traditional Rulers for the funds to be channeled in to the rehabilitation and construction of infrastructural facilities.
Chief Okiyi who also served as Commissioner for Trade ,Investment and Industry, maintained that the N10 billion was disbursed appropriately for the financing of roads and other projects.
“I was a member of the Abia Executive Council and functioned as the Commissioner of Information ,when the idea of constructing Abia Airport was first discussed during Exco meeting of September 24 ,2022.
“Based on the presentation made to the Exco, we approved the project and also approved the borrowing of N10 billion from the UBA, as initial investment by the state with repayment charged to our FAAC account with the bank .
“You may wish to recall that during the period the country was still struggling to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with very low FAAC and IGR inflows across the states.
“With that approval by the Exco, the processes related to the project kicked off. The current Secretary to the State Government ,who is an appointee of Governor Otti, Prof. Kenneth Kalu, can review and confirm from Exco records in his custody.
“Shortly after we announced Exco’s approval of the airport project, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu received in audience Executive Members of the Abia state Council of Traditional Rulers led by HRM Eze Joseph Nwabekee .
“On the 13th of November 2020, Governor Ikpeazu informed members of the State Exco about the details of his meeting with the representatives of the State’s Traditional Rulers who requested that we suspend the airport project and commit the funds earmarked for it to doing more roads in the State as we are surrounded by airports already, but need to urgently improve internal roads that would give a further boost to the socio-economic activities of the state .
“Exco, thereafter, voted approval of the suspension and request to use the earmarked funds for road projects in the state..
“On the 17th of November 2020 ,Governor Ikpeazu took to his official X ( formally Twitter) handling to inform netizens that the airport project had been suspended .
“Ferotex Construction Company which is one of the reputable indigenous construction companies with anti graft agencies clearance was selected by the Ikpeazu’s administration as lead company in the ‘contactor financier’ arrangements ” Okiyi stated.
The former Ikpeazu administration’s spokesman insisted that if not that Governor Otti is driven more by hatred and disdain for his predecessor, with a view to destroying him even if it means dishing out half truths to the unsuspecting public, a serious audit investigation will simply seek to establish if the allocated funds got to the companies and also if the contractors did the work”
