Abia Governor, Otti releases forensic audit exposing Ikpeazu’s civil servants to corruption

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has unveiled a forensic audit, shedding light on financial misconduct by certain civil servants during the tenure of his predecessor, Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, the state’s ninth governor.

Following last week’s State Executive Council meeting, Mr Okey Kanu, the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, released the 359-page forensic report from KPMG, which was consulted on July 13, 2023.

The report stated that N12.8 billion was paid to four contractors “for contracts that do not appear to exist, per available records and discussions with relevant officials.”

Also, the alleged phoney contracts included N10 billion paid to “Ferotex on 25 September 2020 for construction of Abia State airport.”

In addition, N2 billion was paid on June 6, 2022, and September 1, 2022, to Logistics De-Luke for the “delivery of 22 brand new vehicles”, while N9.2 billion was paid to seven contractors with no records that the contracts were executed”.

Governor Alex Otti meant everything he had said about the payment of N10 billion for Abia airport, which is not seen anywhere in the state, as well as other phoney contracts awarded and paid for by the past government,” Kanu said.

Following the report’s public release, the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, to which Ikpeazu belongs, has faulted it, stating, “It was a political move to drag Ikpeazu into the mud, and it is unwarranted and totally unnecessary.”

You are driven by the urge to destroy me, Ikpeazu said.

Governor Otti, on Sunday, May 5, spoke in an interactive session with stakeholders in his Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, that the audit report is to “recover looted funds.”

We are not out to witch hunt but to recover looted funds, he said.

However, the residents of Abia State have commended Governor Otti for keeping to his promise of an accountable government approach he has embarked on since his swearing-in on May 29, 2023.

Meanwhile, GoOtti has expressed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will invite every culpable name of civil servants involved in looting the state resources.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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