Obiano, Ugwuanyi, Umahi get 21 day ultimatum to commence investigation into AfDB’s abandoned water contract
The southeast Development Initiative, SEDI, a monitoring group in the South East of Nigeria, has given the Governors of Anambra, Enugu, and the Ebonyi States 21 days to commence an investigation into a rural water project awarded by the African Development Bank, AfDB, to two firms in their states.
The group, in a petition to the governors, said it was pained that the water contracts which were awarded in 1991 to be constructed in the three states was abandoned, while the federal government was still making deductions for the project up to date.
In the petition, signed by the group’s Chairman, Joseph Onwe, and two others, Ikem Onwudiwe and Chief Chukwuemeka Nwodo, it urged governors Willie Obiano, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and Dave Umahi to investigate the contract as deductions are still being made from their monthly allocation for the project.
The petition read in part: “We are referring to the contract awarded in 1991 for rural water supply in old Anambra State, which was financed by the African Development Bank, AfDB, based in Cote d’Ivoire.
The AfDB also financed the huge contract for the rural water projects in many communities in the old Anambra State.
“You owe the people of Ebonyi, Enugu, and Anambra States the duty to explain to them what became of the contracts.
After all, a huge amount of money is deducted monthly from your state entitlements from the Federation Allocation account to pay for the loan plus interest. And the deductions will go on for 22 and a half years.
“There was an initial suspension of five years on the loans. It is remarkable enough that your states have been paying for the loans and interest rates straight from the monthly allocations from the federation account without knowing why.”
The group gave the governors a 21-day ultimatum to begin a probe of the contract, failure of which it would have no other choice than to involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
According to the group, “If after 21 days you are, however, unable to commence a probe into the heist against the people of Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra States, we will be compelled to report the matter to the EFCC as well as President Muhammadu Buhari for prompt action.
“We trust President Buhari and the new EFCC leadership to come to the rescue of our long-suffering people.”
