''I Paid Gov. Okorocha N24 Million as gratification, So He Dare Not Revoke My Contract'' - Contractor

Governor Okorocha

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and the Managing Director of Nnutouch Global Ventures, Dr. Osita Okereke, are currently on warpath over Governor Okorocha’s resolve to terminate the N1.3 billion project awarded to the firm. This is even as the contractor has alleged that the governor collected the sum of N24 million as gratification from the 15 percent payment made to his company.

The state government had awarded to Nnutouch Global Ventures the contract for the construction of an ultra-modern Judicial Commission Headquarters building in April 2012. However, a year after the contract was awarded to the firm, the governor who visited the building site recently was disappointed to discover that the building, which was billed to be delivered in April 2013 was still at its foundation level even after the firm was mobilised for the job.

Okorocha, thereafter, threatened to revoke the said contract and re-award it to some other contractors who were ready to deliver the project on time. But the Managing Director of the construction firm, Osita Okereke, while briefing journalists yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, dared Okorocha to revoke the contract.

He blamed the state government for the delay in the execution of the project, stating that the government had agreed to pay 40 percent upfront as contained in the contractual terms signed between his company and the Ministry of Justice.

“As stipulated in the contract agreement, the state government was supposed to pay 40 percent upfront but the governor did not comply with that but instead, he paid 15 percent totaling about N168 million,” he said.

Okereke further alleged that the governor collected N24 million from 15 percent as gratification, thereby leaving little fund for the execution of the project. According to him, “after payment, the company surveyed and cleared the site and the project is still at its foundation level since August 2012 because no dime has been paid by the state government even after we have given 40 percent APG to the government.

“After all this, it will be callous and inhuman for the governor to visit the site and threaten to revoke the contract even when he’s aware that the state government has not paid the company what is due to them,” he noted.

Okereke also lamented that “this is not the first time Governor Okorocha is playing such pranks on my company. At the moment, the state government owes my company the sum of N742 million as balance for some other projects we are handling for the government such as the new governor’s lodge, street solar electrification of Owerri-Orlu, architectural design and surveying of Imo-European University.”

When contacted, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwa, described the allegation as laughable. He said, “I won’t want to join issues with a man whose character is well known to the people. The governor has never collected a dime from any contractor and will never do. He has legitimate means of making money. His businesses are still running. So if Okereke has any contract with the state government, he should execute it and stop beating about the bush or else we will expose him.”

Rochas over to you.....hmmm..am sure more sh*t will hit the fan....