National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Chukwuma Okoro
Former Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has strongly refuted allegations made by Governor Alex Otti, accusing him of awarding N107.2 billion contracts without execution. Ikpeazu dismissed Otti’s claims as false and labelled him a liar in response to these accusations.
Governor Otti had recently stated in the United States that a forensic report revealed that Ikpeazu’s administration awarded contracts worth over N100 billion without any work done. Otti claimed to have engaged a top audit firm to scrutinise the state’s accounts, uncovering what he termed as corrupt practices.
Reacting to Otti’s allegations, Ikpeazu dismissed them as complete lies and challenged Otti to provide evidence to support his claims. He emphasised the need for transparency and accountability, urging Otti to name the auditors, make the report public, and identify the contractors allegedly involved in the supposed fraudulent contracts.
Additionally, John Kalu, a former Commissioner of Information, Trade, and Investment under Ikpeazu, joined in criticising Otti’s statements. Kalu highlighted the decision-making process regarding a major project during Ikpeazu’s tenure, demonstrating that responsible choices were made in response to public feedback.
Kalu also criticised Otti for allegedly failing to follow proper auditing protocols, such as providing the auditee with an opportunity to respond to findings. He questioned the credibility of Otti’s claims and emphasised the need for fairness and due process in such matters.
Overall, Ikpeazu and his associates vehemently denied the allegations of financial mismanagement and corruption levelled against his administration by Governor Alex Otti, calling for transparency, fairness, and accountability in handling such serious accusations.
The Abia PDP had also weighed in on the matter and excoriated governor Alex Otti for going to far away US States to demarket the State he is supposedly trying to build. It said that the governor’s action amounted to an executive interference in the work of a judicial panel of inquiry he had instituted to recover public funds and properties.
According to a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mr. Amah, “The Abia PDP is not against setting up an audit to examine the financial records of the past administration, It is within his powers as governor to do that but we are concerned that the ame governor also set up a Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Recovery of Public Funds and Properties soon after he assumed office. The said is still at work and has at various times invited operatives of the previous governments and questions were asked which answered were provided”
“If the governor had received the report of the forensic audit, conventional wisdom dictates that he should have quietly handed it over to the panel of inquiry in order not to preempt its judicial work and allow it to further ask questions and incorporate it in its own final report. By going to the global stage to make revelations about alleged acts of corruption looks to us as a media trial and an attempt to embarrass individuals who are yet to be proven guilty by the law.”, said Mr. Amah.
This is not the first time the governor and his predecessor would exchange brickbat over finances of Abia State. Abians are watching how this latest accusation and counter-accusation would be resolved in the interest of the people.
