Abia State Governor Alex Otti has accused the previous administration of Okezie Ikpeazu of misappropriating N10 billion in airport funds. Otti alleges that the money was transferred to 32 different individual company accounts.
According to Otti, this transfer occurred before the Abia State House of Assembly had granted approval.
Stating that the denial of wrongdoing was not unexpected. Otti emphasized that evidence available contradicts Ikpeazu’s claims that the funds were used for road construction.
Otti revealed that the management of FEROTEX Construction Company has admitted that the company never applied to be awarded the aborted airport project under Ikpeazu’s administration, further casting doubt on the legitimacy of the fund transfers.
Otti then emphasized that his primary interest lies in recovering the funds, rather than seeking the imprisonment of those responsible. He has promised to make the forensic audit report public soon, and expressed confidence that the security agencies will handle the rest of the investigation.
He said, “The immediate past governor’s denial is not unexpected. When it was announced, they went to the media abusing the government and saying that the government lied.
“It is a report by KPMG which says that they diverted the money into roads. In the bank statement on the 26th of September 2020 when people were dealing with COVID-19, a debit went into the state account for N10 billion and it was payment for an 80 per cent contract of the Abia airport.
“It’s true and incontrovertible. The statement is there, the report is there. By the way, the report will be published very soon.
“But I can assure you that as reported by the media, it’s KPMG that did the forensic audit.
“So, clearly, something went wrong. Our engagement with the company that received the money gives the impression that the company was deceived. The Managing Director of the company said that he told them that he had never built an airport before and that it is not his area of competence neither did he apply to them to construct an airport.”
