The 359-page report was prepared by KPMG, engaged by the state government on July 13, 2023.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has unveiled a forensic report revealing how the sum of N12.8billion was paid by the former governor of the state, Okezie Ikpeazu, to ghost contractors and other financial misconduct under the previous administration.
The report revealed that Ikpeazu paid the sum of N12,800,851,500 to four contractors “for contracts that do not appear to exist, per available records and discussions with relevant officials.”
The 359-page report was prepared by KPMG, engaged by the state government on July 13, 2023.
The report was released on Tuesday by the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Mr. Okey Kanu, shortly after briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting.
The report stated that the alleged phony contracts include N10,000,000,000 paid “to Ferotex on 25 September 2020 for the “construction of Abia State airport.
“N2,000,000,000.00 (was paid) on June 6, 2022 and September 1, 2022, to Logistics De-Luke, for the “delivery of 22 different brand-new vehicles” while N9,279,800,000.00 was paid to seven contractors “with no records that the contracts were executed, per schedules of contracts provided and discussions with relevant officials”.
The Commissioner said that Governor Otti meant everything he had said about the payment of N10 billion for Abia airport that is not seen to exist anywhere in the state, as well as other phony contracts awarded and paid for by the past government.
He said that the release of the forensic report for public view would give the people of Abia, Nigerians and indeed the global community an idea of how Abia State was mercilessly raped by those entrusted with authority to pilot its affairs between May 29, 2015 and May 28, 2023.
Dated March 2, 2024, the report signed by partner, enterprise risk services, Saheed Olawuyi, was addressed to the Abia State Accountant General, Dr. Njum Onyemenam, after the process review covering May 29, 2015 to
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