Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy (CFR&PA), a Pro-democracy, human rights, anti-corruption and public interest advocacy group, has written to Governor Alex Otti, the Secretary to Abia State government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu and the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ikechukwu Uwanna, demanding access to the recently conducted Abia Forensic Audit Report.
In the letter signed by Ukpai Ukairo, Member, Board of Trustees, CFR&PA, the group in the letter entitled “Application for access to records under the section 1 and 3 of the Freedom of Information Act”, dated 23-04-2024 with a reception stamp/date on all letters dating 24-04-2024 made an official demand to access the Abia government forensic audit report.
The letters read in parts, “We respectfully apply for access to the following records, to wit: A copy of the Forensic Audit Report which Governor Alex Otti, the Executive Governor of Abia State referred to and relied upon in his Town Hall Meeting in the United States of America to allege that His Excellency, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration paid billions of Naira for an airport and to un-named contractors.
“The Letter of appointment of the Audit Firm that carried out the Forensic Audit as required under the Public Procurement Act.
“The voucher/s showing the payments made to the Audit firm for its professional services.
“The extract of the minutes of Executive Council Meeting adopting the said Forensic Audit Report.”
Also in the letter, the CFR&PA urged the concerned offices to realize that by the Freedom of Information Act (FIOA), they had seven days to release the records as officially requested.
“Please, permit us to remind you, that you have seven days, under the Freedom of Information Act, to release the above records to us. Accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
Recall that Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, on Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, in the United States of America engaged audience where he alleged that a forensic audit has revealed how his predecessor embezzled a huge amount of money from the government account.
In his words, “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.
“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 (N16 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 a contractor 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 told the security agencies to help us search.
“When you juxtapose that with pensions that were lying unpaid for about 10 years and the salary arrears, just one of these headings, the N10 billion that was spent to build a non-existent airport, was exactly the amount of money our government used to take off the pension arrears.”
