A security consultant with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Chikwe Udensi, has urged Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti not to mix his good works with some falsehood when passing information to the people.
By Emma Ogbuehi
A security consultant with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Chikwe Udensi, has urged Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti not to mix his good works with some falsehood when passing information to the people.
Udensi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who gave the advice in a radio phone-in programme, said that he is disturbed at the way the current Abia government is treating with kid gloves, the alleged embezzlement of N107 billion Abia money.
He said that the manner Otti’s administration is treating the case of the money it alleged to have been embezzled by the immediate past government of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu after forensic auditing, sends a disturbing signal on the authenticity of the allegations.
A recent viral video depicted Governor Otti informing some Abia people in the United States of alleged mismanagement of the state’s resources by the immediate past Okezie Ikpeazu administration. In the clip, Otti allegedly said; “N79.3 billion naira was paid to seven Contractors for contracts that were not executed at all. Another 15.9 billion almost 16 billion was paid to 63 contractors with no supporting documents anywhere. Another 13 billion naira was paid to two contractors for contracts that do not exist out of these figures, and 10 billion naira was on September 25, 2020, paid to some contractor for the construction of Abia State Airport.”
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Reacting, Udensi said that he was not taken in by the allegations since similar previous allegations made by the government have proven not to be true.
“Some of the organizers of the Governor’s Trip to America are very close to me and known to me. What I asked for is the full record of the whole proceeding not just what the Governor said. However, I’m a bit disturbed that a matter like this is been treated with trivial attitudes. I’m concerned that N107 billion is alleged to have been embezzled and we’re talking about some contractors and using native knowledge to go and locate the airport. We must get serious.
“107 billion? By now we should have commenced a full investigation and all those who are responsible for such heinous arrangements should be in detention if the proper process are taken. What do I mean by proper process? The crime is said to have been committed in Abia State, the alleged suspects are all in Abia State, the investigation was done in Abia State, then the announcement of the results of the investigation was done in the United States of America, he said.
The Security expert said that in his field of security, once they notice something like the above where there seems to be some form of insincerity, they will become apprehensive and begin to wonder what is the purpose of it all.
“You recall that when the governor came in, he indicated that he’s going investigate the regimes that were before him. We were expecting an investigation from 1999 to 2023, but he chose only the Ikpeazu administration to investigate.
“You’ll recall that on open parliament, I criticized it because I was not comfortable with it. When you seem to specify your level of interest, people may become suspicious of what actually your interest is.
“Again given the fact that everybody must remain innocent until proven guilty, you cannot insist by any imagination that anybody is a criminal. Look at what’s happening in social media right now, the trial is going on social media.
“In Investigation, when you see any of the security agencies start media trial on a case, then they have no case. Go and check it, go and check records. Once they leave the court where you ought to take your matter to and go to the media, you’re playing to the gallery and people like us cannot take you seriously because nothing can be more evil than an accusation that denies the accused the right of defence,” he said.
Udensi frowned against what he termed media persecution of the immediate past government, instead of judicial prosecution, stressing that if anybody is accused, in all honesty, they are allowed to defend themselves before anybody can come out and call them evil.
He said that the fact that he is not in agreement with certain decisions and actions of the Alex Otti-led administration does not mean that the administration is not doing well in the area of Infrastructure and went ahead to commend the Governor for the achievements so far.
Udensi said that he is Forensic Investigator which was why he was concerned when the Government said they did a Forensic Investigation on Abia account, adding that nobody can do a Forensic Investigation according to the standard operating procedure without ensuring that the records of the auditors and that of the auditee are in consonant with each other.
“You don’t just make one audit and then announce it as Forensic, no. If you’re accusing somebody, the record of the accuser must be in consonant with your own records before it becomes Forensic. I’m a fellow of that Institute, Chartered Institute of Forensic Investigation and I know how it works. You must give us records the way they are so that we can hold the Government to account.
“Let me give you an example, why this is very important, if you’re doing a good job, and suddenly you start mixing the good job you’re doing with some lies, when these lies come out, you’ll lose pathos. You’ll lose the sympathy of the people. You’ll lose the love people have for you and that’s why I’m concerned about this Government. They’re doing marvelously very well in the area of Infrastructure and the people love them.
“Abians today love the job the government of Alex Otti is doing. We should not add falsehood to the beautiful job we’re doing.
