Be Serious About N107bn ‘Embezzled’ Funds, Udensi Charges Otti

A security consultant with the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL), Sir Chikwe Udensi, has urged Abia State Governor Alex Otti to refrain from mixing his good works with some falsehood when passing information to the people of the state.

Udensi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) said he was disturbed at the way the current Abia government treats with kidglooves, the alleged embezzlement of N107 billion state fund.

He said the manner Otti’s administration treats the money alleged to have been embezzled by the immediate past government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu after forensic auditing, sends a disturbing signal that such allegations may not be true.

A few days ago, Governor Otti told Abia people in the United States that “N79.3 billion was paid to seven contractors for contracts that were not executed at all. Another N15.9 billion almost N16 billion was paid to 63 contractors with no supporting documents anywhere. Another N13 billion was paid to two contractors for contracts that do not exist out of these figures, and N10 billion was on September 25, 2020, paid to some contractors for the construction of Abia State Airport.”

In his reaction, Udensi during a monitored Radio Phone-in programme, said he was not taking the state government seriously in such allegations because there were pieces of evidence to prove that similar allegations made by the same government had proven not to be true.

“Some of the organisers of the governor’s trip to America are very close to me and known to me. What I asked for is the full record of the whole proceeding, not just what the governor said. However, I am a bit disturbed that a matter like this is being treated with trivial attitudes. I am concerned that N107 billion is alleged to have been embezzled and we’re talking about some contractors and using native knowledge to go and locate the airport. We must get serious.

“N107 billion? By now we should have commenced a full investigation and all those who are responsible for such heinous arrangements should be in detention if the proper process is taken. What do I mean by proper process, the crime is said to have been committed in Abia State, the alleged suspects are all in Abia State, the investigation was done in Abia State, then the announcement of the results of the investigation was done in the United States of America,” he said.

The security expert said that in his field of security, once they notice something like the above where there seems to be some form of insincerity, they will become apprehensive and begin to wonder what is the purpose of it all.

“You recall that when the governor came in, he indicated that he’s going to investigate the regimes that were before him. We were expecting an investigation from 1999 to 2023, but he chose only the Ikpeazu administration to investigate.

“You’ll recall that in open parliament, I criticized it because I was not comfortable with it. When you seem to specify your level of interest, people may become suspicious of what your interest actually is.

“Again, given the fact that everybody must remain innocent until proven guilty, you cannot insist by any imagination that anybody is a criminal. Look at what’s happening in social media right now, the trial is going on social media.

“In Investigation, when you see any of the security agencies start media trial on a case, then they have no case. Go and check it, go and check records. Once they leave the court where you ought to take your matter to and go to the media, you’re playing to the gallery and people like us cannot take you seriously because nothing can be more evil than an accusation that denies the accused the right of defence,” he said.

Udensi frowned against what he termed media persecution of the immediate past government, instead of judicial prosecution, stressing that if anybody is accused, in all honesty, they are allowed to defend themselves before anybody can come out and call them evil.

He said the fact that he is not in agreement with certain decisions and actions of the Alex Otti-led administration does not mean that the administration is not doing well in the area of Infrastructure and went ahead to commend the Governor for the achievements so far.