Okorocha verbally awarded us N240m tunnel contract – Firm

TRACKING___A construction company, Kilcornam Construction, yesterday narrated to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Contracts how former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, verbally awarded it a N240 million contract.

The contract was without any agreement, but paid in full before commencement of project.

Giving details of the transaction from the witness box, the Accountant of the company, Mr. Ududua Collins, said that the firm executed only the tunnel across Assumpta Avenue.

His words: “The company was involved in only one project and that is the construction of the tunnel across the Assumpta Avenue, in 2016.

“The former governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha approached the company to know if we can construct a tunnel across the road. We affirmed our ability to deliver on the job. He paid us the full contract sum of N240 million before we commenced work.

“There was no contract paper or agreement before we commenced and finished the job. It was a verbal agreement. Not even a letter of award for the contract was given to the company.”

On the terms and conditions of the contract, Ududua maintained that every discussion regarding the contract award was verbal.

“The company’s engineers prepared the Bill of Quantities, but I do not know if engineers from the Imo State Ministry of Works supervised the work, while it lasted. There was no certificate of completion for the job.”

While saying that he did not know the office that paid the bill, Ududua said: “We were paid the net. The state government deducted N24 million, representing the withholding tax and Value Added Tax (VAT), at source.”

When confronted with the fact that a document from the Accountant General’s Office indicated that the company was paid N267 million, Ududua said: “I will be surprised to hear that the tunnel cost N267 million.”

He noted that his company was paid through electronic transfer.