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Paschal Emeka, Abuja
The Chairman and CEO of Nnutouch Global Ventures Limited Chief Osita E. Okereke has accused Senator Rochas Okorocha the immediate past governor of Imo state of diversion of funds meant for contractors during his eight years reign as the governor of the state.
The contractor alleged In a petition written by its lawyer Kanayo Okafor, against senator Okorocha, Chief Okereke according to documents made available to this medium titled outright stealing, corruption and abuse of office against Senator Rochas Okorocha send to Hon. Emeka Ihedioha the present governor of the state, said the former governor engaged in “unimaginable corrupt practices, daylight robbery and abuse of office.”
According to the petitioner, it executed an agreement for the construction and delivery on a turnkey basis of an ultramodern State judiciary headquarters building in 2012, comprised of about 15 ultramodern court rooms and other offices for a total contract sum of one billion three hundred and twenty million Naira (N1, 320, 000, 000).
The contractor further alleged that in in the terms of the contract, it was agreed that the Imo state government under Senator Okorocha shall in lieu of the sum total of the contract sum issue 40 percent mobilization and Bank Guarantee for the remaining 60 percent on the condition that the contractor provide Advance Payment Guarantee for the 40 percent mobilization.
The petitioner said that Senator Rochas Okorocha refused to honour the contractual agreement by providing the mobilization fee for the contract only to later release the sum of one hundred and seventy six million Naira (N176, 000, 000) after so much pressure.
“Guided by the necessity of ensuring prompt delivery of the project, in order to safeguard our corporate reputation, our client reluctantly mobilized to site. Our client augmented the said with their private resources,” the petitioner alleged.
“It was our further instruction that the Senator Okorocha caused the withdrawal of payment due our client from the state’s treasury and converted same to personal use. When confronted, he instructed his personal secretary Paschal Obi to pay our client N24 million (Twenty four million Naira) from a personal account. Years have passed and our client has not received any payment despite several demand letters to this effect,” he concluded.
He further called on anti-corruption agencies to as a matter of urgency commence the prosecution of Senator Okorocha in order to recover the looted fund. He also expressed the hope that Hon. Emeka Ihedioha would commence immediate verification of the contract and pay him without further delay.
