Imo Probe Panel Orders Okorocha, Ohakim To Refund N106bn
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Contracts awarded in Imo state between 2006 and 2019 has recommended that former governors who played key roles in the contract awards that turned out to be scams be made to return a whopping N106 billion to government coffers. The ex-governors concerned are Messrs Rochas Okorocha and his predecessor, Ikedi Ohakim.
Submitting the report at the Executive Chambers, Government House, Owerri on Monday, the chairman, Justice Benjamin Iheaka, explained that “there were monumental fraud that were orchestrated by the contractors in the period under review with strong collusion with some civil servants who helped in the fraud which was evidenced in over-pricing of the value of the contracts executed in the state.”
The panel reported that there was flagrant disregard for due process and the rules of the Bureau for Public Procurement Act in the Imo state exhibited in “outrageous contract pricing and shady contract executions as well as payment for non-performing contracts.”
Iheaka also said there were evidences of non-existing and phoney companies that were used to siphon state government funds to the tune of N106 billion.
The chairman, therefore, appealed to the governor not to sweep their report and recommendations under the carpet, but to do whatever is in his power to ensure that those indicted are made to return the monies.
The Commission, however, identified some civil servants who were honest, dedicated and resisted every pressure by the contract scammers to use their offices to defraud the state government during the period under review.
Receiving the report, Governor Hope Uzodimma assured that all those indicted and identified in the report as having played a role in frittering away public funds through criminal ways would be made to return them.
He said opportunity would be given to them to return the monies as the state was in dire need of funds to deal with pressing developmental issues in the face of dwindling resources.
The governor assured that, in a few days, government would set-up a Review Committee to look at the report and documents submitted and produce a White Paper that will give government the actual direction to follow in implementing the report in full. He said the mood in the state indicated that the people were anxious to know what government would do with the report and others before it.
He, therefore, assured the chairman and his members that much as government would not witch-hunt anyone, it would definitely not shy away from implementing the recommendations on those who wilfully fleeced the state of her scarce resources.
He commended the members for taking time to do a thorough job, considering the intricacies of their assignment which warranted their visiting project sites and asking difficult questions, promising that government would surely show appreciation for their sacrifices.
Present at the submission were the chief of staff, Government House, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie, some members of the expanded executive council and other government appointees.
All members of the Commission, including its secretary, Dame Comfort Obi, were in attendance.
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