Controversy over Non-existent Airport Project in Abia State 

The  response  by the former  Governor  of Abia  State, Okezie Ikpeazu, through his former Commissioner for Information, John Kalu, that the N10 billion originally budgeted for the airport project was rechannelled into other projects has vindicated Governor Alex Otti, writes Wale Igbintade

Who is lying between Governor Alex Otti of Abia State and his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu? The people of the state have been asking this question since a war of words broke out between them over the alleged allocation of N10 billion by the Ikpeazu-led administration to a non-existent airport project in the state.

Ikpeazu served as a two-term governor of the state under the platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP) between May 29, 2015 and May 29, 2023, before he handed over to Otti who was elected as governor of the state on March 22, 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party. Otti defeated the PDP candidate, Okey Ahiwe who was Ikpeazu’s preferred candidate.

The feud started when Otti was at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in the United States, where he delivered a lecture on April 19, 2024. The governor spoke on the topic, ‘State of Governance and Economic Transition: Meeting the challenges.’

During his lecture, Otti accused Ikpeazu of allocating N10 billion to a non-existent airport project in the state. He attributed the information to a report of a forensic audit carried out by a firm contracted by his administration.

Almost simultaneously, the video clip which showed the governor making the speech went viral on various social media platforms.

“Talking about corruption, I had set up a forensic audit as soon as I took over office in Abia, last year (2023). So that there won’t be any argument, I called in one of the top three audit firms in the world, and not too long ago, they turned in their report, and some of the things in their report are frightening,” Otti said.

“So, some N9.3 billion was paid to seven contractors for contracts that were not executed at all up till today. Another N15.9 billion was paid to 63 contractors with no supporting documents anywhere in the state. Another N12 billion was paid to two contractors for contracts that do not exist. Out of this figure N10 billion was on September 25, 2020, paid to some contractors for the construction of the Abia State airport.

“We have spent time trying to locate the airport and up till now have not been able to locate it. So, as we continue to look for our airport, we have also involved the security agencies to help us search,” the governor stated.

While Otti did not mention Ikpeazu’s name or his administration in the comment, the former governor was in power within the period the allocation of the funds allegedly took place.

In his first response in late April, Ikpeazu, through a statement by his spokesperson, Onyebuchi Ememanka, denied the allegation, describing it as “senseless”. He consequently challenged Otti to release the audit report which he relied on and also made public details of other projects which were allegedly not executed.

“We hereby throw a public challenge to Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State to make public any documentary evidence or any kind of evidence at all that shows that the sum of N10 billion was paid for an airport. When forensic auditors are appointed and when they complete their task, the reasonable thing to do is to make the forensic audit report public and allow the document to speak for itself,” he said.

In his second response, which apparently vindicated Otti, the former governor, through his former Commissioner for Information, John Kalu, explained that the N10 billion originally budgeted for the airport project was rechannelled into other projects following the approval of the then State Executive Council.

“Shortly after we announced Exco’s approval of the airport project, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu received in audience executives of Abia State Traditional Rulers Council then led by HRM Eze Joseph Nwabekee.

“On the 13th of November 2020, Okezie Ikpeazu informed members of the State Executive Council about the details of his meeting with representatives of the traditional rulers in Abia State, who requested that we suspend the airport project and commit the funds earmarked for it to do more roads in the state, as we are surrounded by airports already but need to urgently improve internal roads that would give a further boost to the socio-economic activities of the state.

“The members of the State Executive Council thereafter voted to approve the suspension and request to use the earmarked funds for road projects in the state,” he narrated.

Kalu added that on 17 November 2020, Ikpeazu took to his official X handle (formerly known as Twitter) to inform residents of Abia State that the airport project had been suspended. He listed some of the road projects where the funds were rechannelled, adding that the projects were captured in the state’s approved 2020 budget.

Though Governor Otti has not officially released the report of the forensic audit, he has vowed that if he does not find the airport, then the money must be refunded to the treasury.

Speaking during an interactive session with constituents of Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area, Otti added that upon assumption of office as governor, he established an audit with the primary objective of recovering stolen government funds and not to send anyone to jail.

The governor said the report of the audit revealed that “a lot of money was looted and stolen brazenly” for non-existing projects which include the Abia Airport Project.

“I am looking for the airport for which funds were moved from the coffers of the government for. The people concerned with the act of moving the airport project funds in question went to the media and  began to say all manner of things. If you are following the happenings in the media space, you will see these things there.

“The problem with lying is that when you tell one lie, you will need another one to cover the first lie and need three more lies to cover the second one. We are looking for our money and we must find our money. If we don’t find the airport, then they will refund our money,” he said.

According to him, the government will not relent in improving the welfare of the citizenry through various progressive initiatives that facilitate socioeconomic growth. He said that the government was determined to recover the funds and  utilise it for the development of the state.

Otti commended the House of Assembly member representing Isiala Ngwa South State Constituency, Roland Chinwendu, for playing “politics of no bitterness”.

“Immediately, after the elections, he  came to me to make it clear that as the member representing my Constituency, he would work with me  to move Abia forward. It is worthy of note that he is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and I commend him for that,” he added.

Earlier, Chinwendu said that the emergence of Otti as the governor was an indication of the citizens’ desire for good governance.

“The elections are long over and I was elected to deliver effective representation and not elected to play politics of opposition or bitterness. We have a governor whose dictum is practical government and good governance and I have no reason not to identify with him,” he said.

He assured the governor of the unalloyed support of his constituents and urged him to extend his infrastructural development to every part of the constituency.

Also, a Chieftain of the Labour Party, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, commended the lawmaker for reaching beyond party affiliations to support the Labour Party-led government in Abia. He said that the present administration was poised to reposition the state through governance.

This is not the first accusation by Governor Otti. Since his inauguration on May 29, 2023, he has been making various allegations against Ikpeazu. In June 2023, for instance, Otti accused Ikpeazu of leaving a “humongous” debt burden for the state.

While many indigenes of the state have seen a remarkable difference between the two administrations, they want the governor to face governance and invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where he has concrete evidence of corruption.

Also, some civil society organisations, such as the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, have written to the Abia governor, demanding a copy of the forensic audit report and other details of his allegation.