As the political storms swell in Delta State ahead of the gubernatorial election to replace Emmanuel Uduaghan, whose office was vacated by the Court of Appeal two weeks ago, the Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum has called for his prosecution for economic crimes.
As the political storms swell in Delta State ahead of the gubernatorial election to replace Emmanuel Uduaghan, whose office was vacated by the Court of Appeal two weeks ago, the Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum has called for his prosecution for economic crimes.
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In a petition to the chairperson of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, the Forum expressed surprise at a statement credited to her in the press that the commission is not investigating the former governor.
“We have a compilation of Dr. E.E. Uduaghan and his cohorts in the various abuse of their official capacity in committing economic and financial crimes under Uduaghan as illegal leadership as governor and Chief James Onanefe Ibori,” they said in the statement. “As SSG under Ibori he committed these crimes in collaboration with his first cousin James Ibori and continued in these crimes when he became Governor of Delta State illegally for three and half years, this illegal habitation of govt. house was confirmed by the Court of Appeal Judgment, thereby vindicating the long held stand of Delta State Elders that Dr. Uduaghan is an illegal Governor because he never won any election.”
The Forum further observed that Mr. Uduaghan has already indicted in the trials in London of such associates of James Ibori as Ms Udoamaka Okoronkwo, his mistress; Christie Ibori-Ibie, his elder sister, and Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, his wife.
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The petition made reference to allegations outstanding against Mr. Uduaghan, including:
• The Asaba Airport on which “Uduaghan spent N22 billion instead of the N7 billion earlier earmarked for the completion of the project;”
• N80 million monthly payments to Mrs. Roli Sheirla Uduaghan for the supply of diesel for the electrification of street lights in Asaba;
• Over N50 million paid to Mrs. Roli Sheirla Uduaghan for merely planting flowers at the Effurun round-about
• Other phantom projects including the Asaba-Ughelli Express road, which the Forum said it would provide facts to the Commission, and
• Huge amounts spent on the Asaba-Oleh-ughelli express road project that do not reflect the work that has been done.
The Elders however focus attention on the Independent Power Project (IPP) in Oghareki in view of the whopping sum they said was expended on what is basically “nothing.”
Said the Elders: “It was during [Uduaghan’s] illegality as Governor of Delta State that the project of the Independent Power Plant was used as a conduit pipe TO STEAL AND LOOT DELTA STATE ECONOMICALLY and there are several petitions within Nigeria and outside Nigeria to your commission on this subject. We are aware too that as a result of these petitions to your Commission on this subject, you set up an investigative team to look into the merits of these allegations and we are also aware that your investigation on this subject had reached its conclusion and what is expected is for the EFCC to swing into action by bringing all those involved in the looting of Delta State through this project, no matter how highly placed, to book.”
Giving a breakdown of the expenditures on the airport project, the petition stressed that “there is nothing on ground as what is left is an empty land overgrown by bush.”
It goes further: “On the part of the Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum, we conducted our own investigation by physically visiting the site and taking photographs/video to prove that the IPP was not only an economic drain but a financial scam. (Video/Photographs attached). In our own investigation, we also found out that there was no contract signed between Davnotch and the Delta State government. There were no invoices. Do due process followed in the award of the contract. There was no letter of credit involving the contract between Rolls Royce and DavNotch Nig. Ltd. And the reasons behind the secrecy of the amount of invoice the Delta State government paid was not disclosed is because there are shady deals involve which the Delta State government wants to keep in secrecy. The reality is that there is neither mechanical nor civil work on the site, the conclusion is that all the money claimed to have been expended on the site and materials merely ended up in the pockets of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Hon. Victor Ochie and Ovuezorie Macaulay. The curious question is, why is it that the Uduaghan Illegitimate government started paying contractors seven months to his removal in jobs awarded more than two years ago, if there no intention to defraud the state? The EFCC need to visit the IPP site to see the strange face of corruption in the 21st century happening in Delta State! The only physical symbol on the site situated along Oghareki road shows a fallen dilapidated “sign board” with the name of the contractor, name of project, address and other details.”
Concluding, the Forum expressed surprise that despite the mountain of evidence before the EFCC, nothing has been done, a situation capable of giving the public impression that Nigeria is not serious in its fight against corruption.
“We implore you to take immediate action to invite Dr. E.E. Uduaghan for questioning on the said project and if possible allow the law to take its full course,” it said.
Full text of the petition:
DELTA STATE ELDERS, LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS FORUM
N0. 5 SWAMP ROAD,
GRA, WARRI
November 22, 2010
Mrs. Farida Waziri,
Executive Chairman,
Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)),
5 Fomella Street Wuse II,
Abuja.
Dear Madam,
EFCC Is Currently Probing The Independent Power Plant (Ipp) At Oghareki And We Are Calling On Your Commission To Prosecute The Illegal Government Of Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan And His Co-Horts For The Economic And Financial Crimes Committed In The Ipp Project
We are compelled by the recent statement that emanated from your commission widely published by major Nigerian Newspapers; that your commission is not investigating Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the former illegal governor of Delta State who without due mandate of Deltans, fraudulently occupied Government House , Asaba for three and half years. However, we want to state that this statement is either false or your commission is misquoted. If it is true that this statement emanates from your commission, then it may have been a mischievous statement directed to cover the facts and at the same time becloud the public from the misdeed and corrupt acts of Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan.
We have a compilation of Dr. E.E. Uduaghan and his cohorts in the various abuse of their official capacity in committing economic and financial crimes under Uduaghan as illegal leadership as governor and Chief James Onanefe Ibori. As SSG under Ibori he committed these crimes in collaboration with his first cousin James Ibori and continued in these crimes when he became Governor of Delta State illegally for three and half years, this illegal habitation of govt. house was confirmed by the Court of Appeal Judgment, thereby vindicating the long held stand of Delta State Elders that Dr. Uduaghan is an illegal Governor because he never won any election.
It should be noted that Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan had been indicted in a London trial of James Ibori associates: Ms Udoamaka Okoronkwo, Chief Ibori’s Mistress and Ibori elder sister Christie Ibori-Ibie who both sentenced to five years each for money laundering and the revelations of the ongoing Mrs. Theresa Nkoyo Ibori trial which indicted Dr. E.E. Uduaghan as an accomplice in the stealing, looting of Delta State treasury by James Ibori. We have facts on Asaba Airport that Dr. Uduaghan spent N22 billion instead of the N7 billion earlier earmarked for the completion of the project.
We also have facts on the N80 million monthly payments to Mrs. Roli Sheirla Uduaghan for the supply of diesel for the electrification of street lights in Asaba and the over N50 million paid to her for merely planting flowers in Effurun round-about and other phantom projects like Asaba-Ughelli Express road which we will furnish the Commission with in due course. Also huge amount had been spent on the Asaba-Oleh-ughelli express road project yet money expended cannot be equated with the work done.
The Fraud Committed By Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan and his Cohorts Through Davnotch Nig Ltd in the Independent Power Project at Oghareki delta State.
The Independent Power Project (IPP) in Oghareki is of major concern considering the whooping sum expended on nothing; it was during his illegality as Governor of Delta State that the project of the Independent Power Plant was used as a conduit pipe TO STEAL AND LOOT DELTA STATE ECONOMICALLY and there are several petition within Nigeria and outside Nigeria to your commission on this subject. We are aware too that as a result of these petitions to your Commission on this subject, you set up an investigative team to look into the merits of these allegations and we are also aware that your investigation on this subject had reached its conclusion and what is expected is for the EFCC to swing into action by bringing all those involved in the looting of Delta State through this project, no matter how highly placed, to book.
It is a major fact that the Delta State Independent Power Project in Oghareki has become an eye-sour and it is being handled by the same DavNotch Nig. Ltd. The same contractor that had been used to handle over 80% of electricity jobs in Delta State by Dr. Uduaghan illegal government to loot funds through the IPP project, rather than contribute to the development of the state.
Below is the expenditure that has been expended on the project without anything to show:
1. On the 24th June 2009, two payments were made to PS Energy for the acquisition of four Rolls Royce Trent Gas Generators for Delta State IPP at the cost of N500 million each for two items of the four stipulated, costing the total sum of N1 billion.
2. On the 4th of September, 2009, four payments were made for the acquisition of the four items above at the cost of N450 million, N750 million, N950million and N850 million respectively.
3. On the 4th of December, 2009, two payments were separately made to PS Energy for the submission of Pre-contract specification, Document & Bill, Engineering measurement/evaluation at a total cost of N610, 120,000.00 and N500 million respectively.
4. On the 8th of December, 2009 five separate payments were made to PS Energy for the followings:
- Acquisition of 2 Rolls Royce Trent Gas Turbine – N650 million
- Generating sets for Delta State IPP
Acquisition of 2 Rolls Royce Trent Gas Turbine – N850 million Generating sets for Delta State IPP
Acquisition of 2 Rolls Royce Trent Gas Turbine – N800 million Generating sets for Delta IPP
Acquisition of 2 Rolls Royce Trent Gas Turbine – N950 million Generating sets for Delta IPP
Acquisition of 2 Rolls Royce Trent Gas Turbine – N750 million Generating sets for Delta IPP
5 On the 31st of December, 2009 , payment of N719,375,000.00 was made for the Insurance of the site
6 On 25th June, 2010 six separate payments were made to Energy for the followings:
Acquisition of Gas Turbine Set for IPP - N980 million
60% Acquisition of 2 Nos. Rolls Royce Trent N990 million
Gas Turbine
Acquisition of Gas Turbine Set for IPP N970 million
Acquisition of Gas Turbine Set for IPP N960 million
Acquisition of Gas Turbine Set for IPP N950 million
Acquisition of Gas Turbine Set for IPP N200 million
(Fourteen Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Nine Million, Four Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand)
Despite this huge amount of money spent on the Independent Power Plant various petitions show that there is nothing on ground as what is left is an empty land overgrown by bush. On the part of the Delta State Elders, Leaders and Stakeholders Forum, we conducted our own investigation by physically visiting the site and taking photographs/video to prove that the IPP was not only an economic drain but a financial scam. (Video/Photographs attached). In our own investigation, we also found out that there was no contract signed between Davnotch and the Delta State government. There were no invoices. Do due process followed in the award of the contract. There was no letter of credit involving the contract between Rolls Royce and DavNotch Nig. Ltd. And the reasons behind the secrecy of the amount of invoice the Delta State government paid was not disclosed is because there are shady deals involve which the Delta State government wants to keep in secrecy. The realty is that there is neither mechanical nor civil work on the site, the conclusion is that all the money claimed to have been expended on the site and materials merely ended up in the pockets of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Hon. Victor Ochie and Ovuezorie Macaulay. The curious question is, why is it that the Uduaghan Illegitimate government started paying contractors seven months to his removal in jobs awarded more than two years ago, if there no intention to defraud the state? The EFCC need to visit the IPP site to see the strange face of corruption in the 21st century happening in Delta State! The only physical symbol on the site situated along Oghareki road shows a fallen dilapidated “sign board” with the name of the contractor, name of project, address and other details.
Realistically, it can take sometime to design, build and get a power plant furnished and ready to produce power. At the final design stage all parts of the plant design are known and the turbines would have been specified and ordered. Though it takes some time in manufacturing the gas turbine from scratch, extensive civil, mechanical and also significant electrical work can be started and finished before the arrival of the gas turbine to the site. In fact, it is the best practice that the site be prepared and made ready to receive the gas- turbines when they are delivered from the manufacturers, so that they are effectively plugged into the ready-installed equipment.
In conclusion, we learnt authoritatively that the investigation of the project which involves Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Hon. Victor Ochei, Ovuzuorie Macaulay and others had almost been completed by your investigative team and it is necessary to expedite action considering the dangers of corruption to any society. We are surprise that with the evidences before your commission nothing had been done and this may give a wrong impression to the general public that are already aware of the various petitions against DR. Uduaghan illegal government to your Commission, that we are not serious in our fight against corruption. We believe the laws of Nigeria are meant for all in order to promote public peace and good. We implore you to take immediate action to invite Dr. E.E. Uduaghan for questioning on the said project and if possible allow the law to take its full course.
Please accept the assurances of our highest esteem
Signed:
On Behalf of Delta Elders:
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