Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
The Member Representing Afikpo North East State Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon Ukie Ezeali and the State Commissioner for Power, Chief Peter Oge Ali, yesterday exchanged words over the N208 Million released by the State Governor, Hon Francis Nwifuru, for the restoration of light in Afikpo town that has been in darkness in the last 10 years.
Briefing journalist on the controversy surrounding the project execution, Hon Ezeali alleged that the fund released for the project was mismanaged by the Ministry.
He claimed that a report from the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company alleged that the job executed by the Ministry were substandard and will not energise the transformers.
The Lawmaker maintained that he had forwarded a complaint to the House Of Assembly Committee on Public Account to invite the Commissioner and those that handled the job to explain how the N208 Million was utilised as the community is already agitating and are complaining over the continued delay in restoring the light months after the Governor released the fund.
Hon. Ezeali who expressed regret that rather than explain to the people how the funds was expended, the Commissioner has been going about blackmailing and carrying out campaign of calumny against him.
“No amount of blackmail or campaign of calumny will deter me from ensuing accountability and probity in the execution of the job. We are insisting that they should come out open and tell the people of Afikpo how they spent the N208 Million released to them.”
He maintained that businesses had closed up, hundreds of people relocated from the community while students can no longer read at night as a result of the blackout and called on the State Governor to urgently intervene in the lingering crisis.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Power, Chief Peter Oge Ali, has also accused the lawmaker of attempt to hijack the funds adding that his anger was that he refused to embezzle the funds with him or give him the N20 Million he claimed to have imputed in the proposal.
He stated that the lawmaker has been sabotaging the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru and instigating the people of the area against the administration.
Chief Oge Ali said that after deduction of VAT and Tax from the N208 Million, what was paid into the account of the Ministry was a total sum of N194 million to facilitate the restoration of light to the area.
He noted that the State Government through the Ministry of Power procured 8 brand new transformers, refurbished another 5, installed all at the different locations adding that the State Government is committed towards restoring light in Afikpo.
He expressed regret that, Hon Ezeali who brought the contractor for the caging of the transformers received payment for the job but failed to complete the job to avoid vandalisation of the installed transformers.
Chief Oge Ali noted that the Lawmaker is in the habit of executing shoddy jobs adding that the State Government will not compromise its standard in the execution of projects.
