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N30billion road contract: Ikpeazu’s camp kicks *Ex-commissioner queries Otti
John Okiyi Kalu, Commissioner for Trade and Investment in Abia State in the government of Okezie Ikpeazu is demanding for explanation from incumbent, Alex Otti on how the Port Harcourt Road Aba contract his predecessor awarded for N9billion and had completed almost halfway, could jump to a whopping N30billion in the hands of the current government.
Okiyi-Kalu, who said he suspected “something is financially fishy” with the contract, which reconstruction was recently flag-off by Otti, said he was shocked when his attention was drawn to a statement released by the governor through his spokesman, naming the princely sum.
Stressing that he was not worried about the attack his inquisition into the details of the latest contract attracted from the government, he said he was only trying to go by Otti’s words that he would run a transparent government and to be held accountable, adding that nothing else should be read into his suspicion.
Informing that Ikpeazu’s administration which he served under awarded the same road in 2017 for N9 billion with 40 per cent of the work already done including the establishment of drainages end to end, along with proper channels for storm water, the ex-commission maintained that he was unfazed by the tissue of lies and inaccuracies contained in the statement from Otti and his men against him over the matter.
Besides he noted that it was quite instructive to note that during a radio programme, he monitored in Umuahia, Otti confirmed that he was actually using N30 billion to do the job and that there was neither a budgetary provision nor due process competitive bidding for the work.
His words: “Furthermore, if Otti believes that property owners along Port Harcourt Road, Aba should be given compensation, he has my personal support to do so now because the government is a continuum and he is about to work on the same road as started by the immediate past administration.
“Let me remind Alex Otti for the purposes of his records that as of May 9, 2017, the Port Harcourt Road, Aba project was commenced, I was not a commissioner then and could not have harassed, nor been in any position to harass anyone on that road because of the project as he told Abians on radio through his spokesman. I only became a commissioner in Abia State on October 17, 2017.
“I also find no real issue with associating me with the successes and shortcomings of the Ikpeazu administration because as expected of any government, we met many challenges, and solved many but couldn’t solve all the problems of Abia before we left office after 8 years. By the time Otti leaves office, too, he will also not have been able to solve all the state’s problems.”
Okiyi-Kalu, who said that his position centred around his promise of transparent conduct in governance to the people of Abia State, said he would continue to hold Otti accountable regardless of any threat to him or his family members.
He added: “In his inaugural address to the people of the state, Otti had said: ‘The time for the rebuilding process has begun. Transparency, accountability, and public trust shall be at the centre of everything we do.’ Based on the above statement, one then wonders why Otti is angry that a citizen is holding him to his words.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the federal government does not currently publish monthly FAAC and IGR receipts by individual states. What they publish is the total amount of FAAC receipts available for sharing among Federal, State and LGAs.
“If Otti has a web address where we can get monthly FAAC and IGR receipts for Abia State, he should share it, please. If his problem is that I asked for transparent sharing of relevant information with citizens, as he promised, then he will continue to have issues with me.
“I have also been made aware of allegations that his government sponsored the photoshopping and publication of fake nudes of a young woman who recently criticized the government as retaliation. How did we get to the point that fingers are pointing at a government for producing and spreading fake nudes of a woman simply because she criticized the government? I hope women rights activists investigate this allegation promptly as it is despicable, barbaric and a new low for us, not only in Abia State but also in Nigeria as a whole,” Okiyi-Kalu said.
He said that Governor Otti will never be able to intimidate opposition voices in Abia State, especially himself, stressing that the Governor wants to do so that he can run the finances of the State as his personal funds.
“I must also out of necessity inform the public that I have long been aware of his alleged plot against my personal safety and property. People close to his administration previously informed me that Otti is desperately seeking ways to frame me up for one crime or another after realizing that I personally discharged my official duties above reproach.
“This is not strange to me because a few years ago, he publicly lied against me by naming me as the author of a document I didn’t know existed at the time. It appears to me that out of desperation, he has now gone ahead to attempt to instigate members of my community to act adversely against me by making false claims and subtle threats.”
Okiyi-Kalu challenged Governor Otti to produce a shred of evidence that he diverted resources meant for his community under any guise within 24 hours or else he would take the necessary action as he deemed fit.
“He is now the Governor and has unfettered access to information on funds allocation and movement in the state in the past 24 years. Please, Mr Otti, publish evidence of money or resources meant for my community that I allegedly stole or mismanaged, or forever hide your face in shame for trying to cause problems between me and my people.
“As regards my official actions as Commissioner for Information or Trade, I am proud of my work and stand by everything I did. In any case, I have never been LGA Chairman in my life, hence couldn’t have managed the revenue of Ohafia LGA directly or indirectly.
“All I see is a frustrated Otti seeking to hang onto propaganda to create a crisis between me and my kinsmen and use that as a leeway to attempt to harm me and breach my properties, and then turn around to blame my people.”
Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has given assignment to Nigerians to put all those aspiring to take up political positions in the country through the grill to ascertain their level of integrity, saying it was required as a sine qua non for the job they seek.
Obi, who has been a subject of discussion in the polity since the allegation of corruption was levied against him by Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesman of his campaign in 2023, over the conduct of the party’s primaries to choose candidates for the 2027 general elections, said the grilling must start with his own person.
A guest in an interview on a podcast with Rufai Oseni, a popular television anchor, the former Governor of Anambra State, stated that it was actually for this reason that he had now sworn to see the litigation he instituted against Okonkwo through.
His take is that the Nollywood actor should use the courtrooms to give all the details of bad behaviour, following his threat to expose him fully, after alleging that he was collecting money from aspirants in the said election for electoral favours.
Hear him: “The issue of taking Kenneth Okonkwo to court wouldn’t have arisen if he had stopped at those allegations. But he claimed he still has more he would expose about me in the future. So, I am very happy to take him to court so that he can expose me publicly, alongside other Nigerians. If any of them has any criminal allegations against me, they should bring them to court.
“Not just Kenneth, everybody should now say those things they know that is bad about me or I did that is wrong because it’s good for the system, it’s good for the society,” Obi said.
“So, if you know that when we were in primary school, this man was cheating or didn’t go to the primary school, didn’t go to secondary school, didn’t do, if you know this man has done something criminal somewhere, this is time to bring it up.”
For the umpteenth time, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned about the dangerous implication of using state institutions, particularly the judiciary to destroy Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is an ill-wind that blows nobody any good.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), speaking on the heels of Tuesday’s verdict of the Court of Appeal, halting the de-registration order by the Federal High Court, insisted that judicial officers must not lend themselves to any act capable of undermining the nation’s democratic process.
The appellate court had ordered a stay of execution on the order made on Monday by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court Abuja, for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the ADC alongside four other political parties).
A totally scandalised Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja, had taken umbrage, sparing no hard words in upbraiding the lower court judge, stating that his likes were unfit to sit on the bench.
In a unanimous ruling by a three-man panel, the court held that Lifu’s action was “the highest form of judicial impertinence”, stressing that the Supreme Court previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner.
Describing his conduct as the height of judicial rascality, the upper court, stated: “Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This Court has supervisory authority over the trial court.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution.
This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for a stay of execution is here yet granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed.”
Atiku, who hailed the position of the higher court, which restored his hope to be on the ballot as presidential candidate in the 2027 election, also noted the role of INEC as “significant.”
He said: “I welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to stay the execution of the Federal High Court judgement seeking the deregistration of our great party, the ADC, and four other political parties. It is particularly significant that INEC itself initiated the application for the stay.
“The development reflects growing public concern over judicial contradictions and politically charged rulings within the judiciary. “Any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s hard-won democracy through judicial manipulation is a grave danger to the Republic. If our democracy suffers further injury, history will demand accountability from those entrusted with dispensing justice.
Outside ADC, Lifu’s order, also included: Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), similarly slammed for allegedly failing to meet the constitutional requirements for continued registration and participation in elections.
“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.
A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.
Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.
Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement
“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.
“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”
Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.
He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.
“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”
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