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Hon. Obinna Ichita who is an opposition member of the Abia State House of Assembly, representing Aba South State Constituency, has called on the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to give an account of how the Abia State government spent the ₦27.4b allegedly given the state by the World Bank.
In a letter dated February 28, 2023, written on the lawmaker’s behalf by Adulbert Legal Services and signed by the lawmaker’s counsel, Aloy Ejimakor (Esq), which was made available to The Eastern Updates, Ichita said that Abia State Government had received the said ₦27.4b in full from the World Bank for road construction and erosion control projects in Aba, specifically Port Harcourt Road, Uratta Road, Obohia Road, Ohanku Road, and Ngwa Road.
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He also said his demand for the full account was in accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, hence, the governor should comply with the deadline set by the said Act.
Ikpeazu was also told to reveal the names and business addresses of the contractors that executed any of the projects; and copies of the contract awards, documents, including the cost of the execution, of each project.
It would be recalled that Ikpeazu had “informed the people of Aba, via a live radio programme on Magic FM, Aba, on May 29, 2020 that the Government of Abia State had received the said money in full, and it was also reported in the national dailies, including the Vanguard Newspaper of May 20, 2020 and Thisday Newspaper of May 21, 2020.
‘That on March 7, 2021, during the 2021 convention, and the N20m Visual Studio Fund lunch of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, at St. Andrew’s Parish, Aba, Abia State, Ikpeazu, again publicly acknowledged the receipt of the said money in full by Abia State from the World Bank.’
The letter further read. ‘Your Excellency, it is pertinent to state that this request for information is made pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, which requires compliance within strict deadlines. We, therefore, await your timely response.
