The Imo State House of Assembly has passed a vote of no confidence on
the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Jude Agbaso, necessitating the
commencement of an impeachment move against him.
The vote of no confidence, it was gathered, was based on an allegation
that Agbaso received the sum of N458 million as gratification from one
of the major contractors in the state, Messrs JPROS International
Nigeria Limited.
The gratification, according to the lawmakers, allegedly led to the abandonment of some road projects in the state.
Rising from a long sitting Thursday, the assembly during a committee of
the whole, deliberated on the report of the ad hoc committee instituted
to investigate the cause of the stoppage and abandonment of work on the
Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu municipalities.
Following the investigation, it was discovered that the contractor
abandoned the projects due to the fact that Agbaso allegedly demanded
and received financial gratification from the contractor to the tune of
N458 million.
According to the report, it was disclosed that the sum of N458 million
being the gratification sum demanded by the deputy governor was paid in
two instalments to the two accounts provided by the Agbaso in favour of
the account No. 0045630151 with GTBank and another account No.
1015334698 with United Bank for Africa (UBA).
The report further stated that during the interrogation of the two
principal persons before the committee, the Chairman of JBROS, Mr.
Joseph Dina, said: “He said you (deputy governor) gave him (Dina)
account numbers via your telephone number directing him to pay a total
sum of N458 million to those accounts. And that he actually paid it in
February 2012 on the receipt of N1.035 billion, the sum of N325 million
in favour of Three Brothers Concepts Limited account No. 0045630151 with
GTBank and another N133 million paid in June to IHSAN BDC Limited in
account No.1015334698 with UBA Plc.”
Based on the committee’s findings, the assembly adopted same as, “that a
vote of no confidence be passed on the deputy governor for acts
unbecoming of his person and office; that the Head of Service should
immediately commence disciplinary action in accordance with civil
service rules against the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr.
Alex Nlebedum; Director of Planning, Research and Statistics and
Resident Engineer attached to the contract for criminal negligence in
the performance of their duties and report to the assembly within 14
days; and that the state and local governments of the state should
blacklist Messrs JPROS International Nigeria Limited from doing business
with them in future after completion of the existing contracts.”
The assembly also directed the state Attorney General and Commissioner
for Justice to take measures to ensure immediate recovery of the sum of
N200 million being over payment to Messrs JPROS International Nigeria
Limited on the said contract.
In a reaction, a source close to Agbaso, after several attempts to
reach him, allegedly accused the state governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha,
of being the mastermind of the impeachment.
The deputy governor was said to have claimed that the ploy of the
governor was to use the Speaker of the assembly, Chief Benjamin
Uwajumogu, and other members to tarnish his image and replace him with
his Chief of Staff, Prince Eze Madumere.
It was also noted that since Madumere comes from Owerri zone, which is the same zone where the deputy governor comes from.
In a related development, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)
Imo State chapter has alleged that it had uncovered a plot by the
Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to distort the
activities of the Assembly, in order to cause disaffection in the ranks
of the state government.
In a statement signed by the state Chairman of APGA, Mr. Marshal
Okafor-Anyanwu, said the ill-conceived move was not unconnected to the
ongoing investigation by the Assembly over allegation of financial
gratification levelled against the deputy governor.
According to him, “we recall that Chief Rochas Okorocha, a few days
suspended his oversee trip to intervene when events as regards to this
subject matter almost assumed a very negative direction. We are
therefore surprise with the way and manner the Presidency and national
leadership of the PDP unexpectedly showed interest on the matter and
subsequently declared support for the deputy governor, who is not a
member of the PDP.
“However, we gathered that the 12 PDP lawmakers in the state
legislature summoned to Abuja a few days ago, met with the national
chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; and Chairman of the Board
of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, at NICON Hilton, where the
lawmakers were told in clear terms not to participate in the ongoing
investigation on corrupt allegation against the deputy governor.
According to a source, “this position is an aftermath of Chief Martin
Agbaso’s recent deal with the PDP. The senior Agbaso had as part of the
clandestine moves to save his younger brother, struck a deal with the
PDP promising to remain in APGA as against his earlier intention to join
the All Progressive Congress (APC). He also pledged to work for the PDP
presidential candidate in 2015 which President Goodluck Jonathan is
favoured to pick.”
culled from www.thisdaylive.com
No comments:
Post a Comment