Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has alleged that the immediate past government in the state diverted about N10bn mapped out for the construction of the airport to 32 different accounts, challenging the former governor Okezie Ikpeazu to show Abians where the airport is constructed or return the diverted funds.
At a recent press briefing in Umuahia, the governor said the funds were moved in different tranches, insisting that at the appropriate time, all those who had a hand in diverting funds meant for the state will give account of it.
He also queried why the state government under former governor Ikpeazu would go ahead to make a payment of N10bn to a contractor who never bidded to construct an airport, nor had the competence to do it.
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He said, “So our engagement with the company that received the money gives the impression that the company was deceived. The managing director of the company said that he told them that he had never built an airport before, and, it’s not his area of competence. Neither did he apply to them to construct an airport.
“Has he the competence to construct an airport? And according to him, of course, he will respond to the security agencies. According to him, the then government asked him to move the monies elsewhere. He showed us letters from the then government to move the money in different tranches to 32 companies. And that he did on the instruction of the former government.
“So like I had said, the rest of the work will be done by security agencies. But what is important for our government is either that somebody is showing us at the airport or somebody is returning our money. That is what is important to us. We are not interested in all the fireworks and all the abuse. We are not even interested in anybody going to jail, except if they are telling us that somebody whose money is missing should not look for the money”.
