Exclusive: Delta hopeful Hon. Victor Ochei Involved in contract scam as EFCC re-opens investigation on N21.7bn IPP project Davnotch Nigeria Limited.

Iheanacho Nwosu, Abuja

The Economic and Financal Crimes Commission (EFCC) has
reopened probe into an Independent Power Plant (IPP) project
contract in Oghara, Delta State, valued at N21,740,000,000.
The move followed a fresh petition by a youth group, Empowerment
for Unemployed Youth Initiative, headed by Charles Adodo. He told
Daily Sun that the group is planning to protest the delay in
investigating its petition in Abuja and Delta State.
A source at the anti-graft agency said the commission has
reopened investigation into the alleged non-execution of the IPP
project. He disclosed that there were also petitions from two elders
of the party on the matter. Spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson
Uwujaren, neither denied nor confirmed the alleged reopening of
investigation into the matter.
Giving insight into the allegation, the source said the contract for
the project was awarded by the Delta State government to an
indigenous firm, Davnotch Nigeria Limited, on June 23, 2009, for
the supply and installation of two Rolls of Royce Trent gas turbine
generators to boost power generation and distribution in the state. It
had an initial contract term of 60 per cent downpayment and
completion period of 24 months.
On June 24, 2009, it accepted the offer and promised to complete
the contract within the stipulated time frame and a total N1 billion
was paid into its accounts in three banks on the same day.
He maintained that, subsequently, other payments were made to
the same company in respect of the project. According to
investigations, the total sum ofN9,829,495,000.00 has so far been
paid to Davnotch Nigeria Limited.
The source explained that investigations by the EFCC revealed that
the contract might have been a huge scam, as the contracting firm
was directly linked to a top official in the government of Delta State.
It was also alleged that at the time the contract was awarded and
N1 billion paid to the firm, it was not registered with the Corporate
Affairs Commission, due process was not followed and there was
no formal agreement between the Delta State Government and
Davnotch Nigeria Limited.
The EFCC commenced investigation into the contract during the
tenure of Mrs. Farida Waziri as chairperson of the anti-graft agency.
The investigation was ordered after a petition from a law firm, and
operatives of the anti-graft agency visited the proposed site of the
IPP in Oghara.
In 2010, the Delta State Elders Forum wrote a number of petitions
on the same matter, which compelled the EFCC to expedite action
on the matter. However, nearly eight years after the EFCC
completed that investigation, no action was taken in terms of
prosecuting those behind the alleged scam.
Meanwhile, source disclosed that the case file has been re-opened,
in line with the policy of the present administration to recover all
stolen assets and not to allow public officials get away with fraud
anywhere in the country.
Similarly, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative has vowed
to work hard and not relent until the matter is investigated.
Adodo said, “Our group is Empowerment for Unemployed Youth
Initiative and we are concerned that the monies that were supposed
to be devoted for the development of the nation are diverted to
private pockets through corruption. This is one of the reasons we
have a high rate of unemployment in Nigeria.
“So, this is why anytime and anywhere we find corruption, we fight
it hard and we fight it with all that we have, in the best interest of
the nation.
“In a nutshell, we authored that petition and we are ready to stand
by it anytime we are called upon to do so. We can’t just fold our
arms and let corruption ride roughshod over us.
“To the best of our knowledge, nothing has been done at the site of
the Delta Independent Power Project at Oghara all these years to
show that it is not a fraudulent contract.
“The contractor simply diverted the money meant for the project to
his personal endeavours and to the detriment of the project and the
development of the power sector.”

Delta Governorship hopeful Hon-Vitcor Ochei involved in corruption scandal as EFCC re-opens investigation on N21.7bn IPP project

https://abacityblog.com/2018/06/delta-governorship-hopeful-vitcor-ochei-involved-in-contract-scam-as-efcc-re-opens-investigation-on-n21-7bn-ipp-project.html