Ikpeazu Protests Planned Probe of Abia’s N10bn Airport Project

The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has said he initiated a forensic audit of the government’s account to recover stolen funds and not to witch-hunt anyone.

Otti had asked for a probe into the spending of the past administration, especially the airport project for which the immediate past governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, was said to have allocated N10bn.

The former governor, in a reaction to the report on the airport project, had also set the record straight, stating that the project was initiated by the Theodore Orji-led administration but he dropped it despite budgeting N10bn after the traditional institution in the state kicked against it.

The former governor further stated that the money was reallocated to other projects in the state.

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The Commissioner for Information during Ikpeazu’s administration, Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, carpeted Otti for allegedly misinforming the people of the state.

Okiyi-Kalu, in a statement on Monday, said that the alleged N10bn originally budgeted for the airport project was rechanneled into other projects.

Okiyi-Kalu said Ikpeazu must have informed the then Commissioner for Works, Elder Bob Ogu, of his intention to suspend the airport project in anticipation of exco approval, hence, the state Ministry of Works selected road projects in Abia 2020 budget for funding with the N10bn and allocated resources to the contractors.