• Minister suspends six FCT workers
THE Independent Corrupt Practices
and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) has alleged
involvement of an aide to Governor
Rochas Okorocha in a N74.4 billion
Imo State contract scam.
The development came as the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Bala
Mohammed, yesterday ordered the
suspension of six FCT workers for
their alleged involvement in alleged
fraudulent activities.
Four of the suspended workers are
from the Abuja Geographic
Information Systems (AGIS) while
two are from the FCT Land
Administration Department.
Details of the their involvement could
not be obtained by newsmen, but the
minister, in a statement issued in
Abuja yesterday disclosed that the
suspension takes immediate effect
even as he said the alleged culprits
were still facing further investigation.
ICPC revealed in a statement
yesterday that the governor’s Special
Assistant, Prince Akano and former
deputy governor, Jude Agbaso, were
part of the scam in which a
construction company allegedly got
N1.45 billion for the project awarded
for N1.15 billion and abandoned the
work after executing it up to a point
valued at just N300 million.
The commission added that
investigations at the Corporate Affairs
Commission (CAC) revealed that the
governor’s aide who is also the
chairman, Committee on Monitoring
and Implementation of Road Projects
in Imo State, Prince Akano, was a
director in the allegedly erring
construction company, JPROS
International.
ICPC which gave the revelation
following the recent demonstration by
women of Imo State against anti-
corruption agencies, also revealed
how state officials obtained a loan of
N73 billion and used the allocations
of all the state local governments for
the next three years as collateral.
The ICPC said it is not correct that
anti-graft agencies merely wanted to
witch-hunt the governor and state
officials but that petitions were
received from the state as far back as
December 2012 and March 2013 to
investigate the issues.
The second petition, ICPC said, was
received from the Association of
Local Governments of Nigeria
(ALGON) in Imo State, alleging
misappropriation of the N73 billion
loan.
“In a bid to frustrate further
investigation, Akanno instituted a
civil suit challenging the authority of
the Commission and the
investigation team led by Chukwura
to summon him to clarify issues.
“The second petition was sent to the
Commission by the Association for
Local Government of Nigeria
(ALGON), Imo State Chapter, alleging
misappropriation and diversion of
N73 billion belonging to the 27 local
governments of the state for which
three years statutory allocation to the
local governments were used as
collateral.”
The petition further alleged that “the
Speaker of the House and his men
were beneficiaries of these contracts
in order to prevent them from
carrying out their oversight functions
on the projects.”
It also stated that while several letters
of invitation were sent to 12
functionaries in the state, only five of
them honoured the invitation. Those
who honoured the invitations are the
Clerk, Imo State House of Assembly;
the Branch Manager of Zenith Bank
Plc.; Branch Manager of Guaranty
Trust Bank Plc; Accountant-General
of the State and Commissioner for
Finance.
“Seven others are yet to show up.
They are the Secretary to the State
Government; the Principal Secretary
to the State Governor; the
Commissioner for Agriculture and
Natural Resources; the State
Commissioner for Works; the
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Local Government and Chieftaincy
Affairs, and the Commissioner for
Local Government and Branch
Manager of Diamond Bank Plc,
Owerri,” ICPC said.
Instead of honouring the invitation of
the Commission, the suspects were
said to have dragged ICPC and its
investigators to court, seeking the
enforcement of their fundamental
human rights.
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php/news/national-news/137202-icpc-alleges-involvement-of-okorocha-s-aide-in-n74-4b-contract-scam

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