MAKE PUBLIC ALL ALLEGED RECORDS ON NON-EXISTENT AIRPORT, OPAQUE CONTRACTS……. FENRAD TELLS GOV OTTI .......Abians need to know everything about this airport and other contract rackets. It is their right.

“In any governance sector, accountability demands that such wrath as exposed by the governor be made accessible to all Abians, the actual owner of the patrimony and looted commonwealth, as has been alleged. Therefore, the need for accountability is the major driver of FENRAD's intervention in the said contract racket matter.” FENRAD

 

The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development, FENRAD; a human and environmental rights-focused civil society group in Abia State, has called on the Abia state Governor, Mr. Alex Otti to provide more open and explicit clarifications on alleged contracts and procurement fraud, including on non-existent airport, preferred against former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

FENRAD, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Nelson Nwafor and made available to newsmen, disclosed that the allegations and responses from the former Abia state governor, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu in an audio which has since gone viral, was obtained and analyzed.

The statement by the Foundation noted that, “In any governance sector, accountability demands that such wrath as exposed by the governor be made accessible to all Abians, the actual owner of the patrimony and looted commonwealth, as has been alleged. Therefore, the need for accountability is the major driver of FENRAD's intervention in the said contract racket matter. 

“It is a common axiom, especially, within our evidence law system, that one who asserts must prove, 'incumbit probatio qui dicit non qui negat.' So in this regard, the onus probandi, being the burden of proof, lies with the governor to prove his assertion by publishing reports from the forensic auditing firm whose services were engaged by the state, as the governor stated. 

The group noted that, “What is at issue is a serious one which every right-thinking Abian would want to hear the last of, beyond gimmicks or an attempt to outflank political adversaries. The Foundation considers the allegations timely and welcomes it in this regard. Having said, it is understandable that weighty allegations like this, coming from the Governor himself; not his aides or handlers, should not be treated as mere waggish expressions or frivolousness, but rather as the official position of the state government.” The statement read.

Speaking further, the group noted that, “From all available news sources, the Governor said his predecessor wasted ₦107bn on contracts that never existed, including ₦10bn on Abia airport which never took off.

“FENRAD has equally read the response from the representatives of the last administration, but will not be dwelling much on that as a politically neutral civil society group.

“The response remains what it is, but proof of the allegations, if made public, will go a long way in inculcating financial discipline in the public accounting sector of the state and serve as reference for future purposes. The Foundation is aware that previously, Abia had been badly governed, with issues like bloated public debt portfolio heaped upon Gov. Otti's shoulder upon inauguration.

“It is for this that it only makes sense that Gov. Otti exposes all financial misdeeds and misdemeanors wherever he sees them. 

“To the Foundation's knowledge, contract records are captured in state appropriations - budgets - with the awardee(s) named, including possible date of completion, how payments are to be made, and which money deposit bank (MDB) is to process and facilitate payments. Again, in procurement, tenders and bids, usually, are advertised in at least three or so national dailies to reach a wider audience of bidders. Even in cases where non-competitive tendering occurs, making only one firm to be prequalified, records are also kept for the public. Releasing the documents will, in addition to exposing the rot in the finances of Abia state before Governor Otti’s administration will enable Abians who feel marginalized to file a case of misappropriation against the last administration, since there is nowhere in its appropriation the airport was captured as a budget heading. 

“Abia has an official website where public-sector tenders could be listed, but there is no available record of such yet, not even on the state official website. What this means is that, if the allegations are true, the past administration exhibited sheer wickedness on Abians. It is also appropriate that the governor empanels an independent commission, involving both parties (auditor and auditee) to investigate all of these claims, and see to it that all persons named and fingered are made to face the law, if found guilty. In light of this, the Foundation calls on Gov. Otti to initiate the process of having anti-graft agencies take the matter up, armed with the audited report details. Until this is done, former Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu remains innocent before the law (except otherwise proven in a court of law). 

Lastly, Nigeria operates a democracy where freedoms are allowed citizens, including that to enquire and access information on public issues. We call on Gov. Otti to make financial disclosure, concerning these contracts, by releasing all supporting documents in the interest of public accountability. 

Abians need to know everything about this airport and other contract rackets, including names of awardees, amount and date of award. It is their right.

Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor 

Executive Director