Lawmaker Alleges Award of Phoney Contracts by Ikpeazu to Score Political Points

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

A member of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon. Obinna Ichita, has slammed the Governor of Abia State, Mr. Okezie Ikpeazu, over alleged spurious award of contracts amidst a plethora of abandoned projects across the state.

Ichita said that it was deceitful for the state governor to be awarding contracts just to give the impression that he is working all in a bid to attract votes for his anointed governorship candidate in the forthcoming general election.

Last week, Governor Ikpeazu announced six projects for Amankalu Alayi, Ugwueke-Ezeukwu, Igbere, Uzuakoli, Ozuitem an Itunmbauzor communities all in Bende Local Government.

But Ichita, who represents Aba South State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, faulted the motive for the award of the contracts for state intervention projects.

He said that the Ikpeazu’s administration has already earned for itself the enviable status of awarding contracts without implementation. 

He said that any new contract awarded by the governor, which has barely nine months to the end of its existence “is sheer subterfuge and a big insult on the collective intelligence of Abia people.”

However, the lawmaker said that “Abia people cannot fall for such a hackneyed diversionary tactic” aimed at winning their votes, adding that the move to deceive Abians would not yield any electoral dividend for the government.

To substantiate his claims, Ichita, who is the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in Abia, cited a number of awarded contracts that have been abandoned by the state government.

He said: “Abia State Government awarded the construction of Ozuoma and Ohazu Roads, up till today the project is abandoned.

“Abia State Government announced the award of road construction projects in Aba. The government destroyed people’s houses and businesses premises. Sadly up till today, the projects are abandoned. Port Harcourt Road and Uratta Road are worst hit, despite their economic and strategic importance to the state.

“Abia State Government announced the commencement of Enyimba Economic City. Not only has the government abandoned the project, but Ukwa land, the location of the project does not have a single presence of government. They are literarily cut off from the rest of Abia as a result of bad roads.

“Ntigha Dry Port project and the medical city project announced by Abia State Government are all abandoned and forgotten.

“Abia State Government announced the award of contracts for Ifeobara flood project (off Faulks Road) but immediately the government received the loan for the project, it abandoned the project.”

According to him, “the assumption by agents and officials of the government of Abia State, that the mere mention of  “award of contract” would make the people of Abia to suspend their intelligence and clap for this government, speaks to how lowly the government thinks of the people.

“Our people are now more politically and intellectually sophisticated; they know that the sudden report of the so called ‘award of intervention project’ few months to the end of the tenure of the PDP-led government in Abia, is aimed at scoring cheap political goals,” the Abia State lawmaker said.