Asaba Airport Contractor Spits Fire On Delta Lawmaker Over Alleged Bribery Scandal.
The Asaba airport contractor and Chairman of the ULO Consults, Mr. Uche Okpuno, has revealed the reason behind the anger of the Delta House of Assembly member and chairman, House committee on works, Evans Ivwurie.
Okpuno
According to the contractor, " it was understandable that Ivwurie may have been angered after I refused to grant his request on November 4, this year, when he visited my residence in Asaba and made impossible demands that I should refund N7.4 billion collected for non completion of the Asaba airport project and the 46-kilometre Sector C section of the Asaba-Ughelli dualisation road project".
Okpuno, who claimed to have a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of the visit, which he said he was ready to play at the right time, stressed that it had never been the policy of the company to accede to such requests, considering its huge participation in the infrastructural development in the state.
He said: “Recent expression by this legislator in the media to “probe” all contracts awarded to the company is quite understood. We are confident that we can defend all our obligations to the Delta State Government since the creation of the state at the appropriate time and place.”
Okpunor stated that despite outstanding payments for duly certified payment certificates running into billions of naira, it was baffling that Ivwurie has arrogated to himself, the functions of the executive arm of government by unilaterally determining the value of works executed by the company.
He added: “Ivwurie has assessed and determined the payments released to ULO Consultants without clearing with the office of the Ministry of Finance, the actual payments made and for what purpose.”
According to our source, Ivwurie who spoke on phone from Benin Airport in Edo State on his way to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention in Abuja, vehemently denied the allegation, insisting that he did not at any time demand anything from Okpunor.
He read out a text message he said was sent to him on November 16 at 9.24 A.M, by the ULO boss: “Good morning honourable. For your information only, Me and the SPD have arranged a welfare package. My boy will deliver it today after the inspection. His name is Jerome.”
The lawmaker said in reply that same day at 11:41am, he wrote: “Thank you very much for the offer sir, but I am not interested in taking any money from you sir. Respectfully,
Evans Ivwurie.”
Our source also said, Okpunor fired back at Ivwurie by 5:46pm same day, vehemently denying being the source of the earlier text message: “Good evening honourable. Pls, am just seeing your text message. I didn’t remember offering you any money. I hope nobody did on my behalf. Thank you.”
However, Okpunor said the welfare package by him and the Special Project Director (SPD), a government official, was not at all about money, but normal entertainment when officials come inspecting.
He retorted: “In my text message, did you see anything about money? I never offered him money and made it clear in my response. Why would I and the SPD, a government official, offer him money? For what?”
Information reaching the stable of FLAGNEWS NIGERIA, has it that the ULO boss, who is also the owner of St. Luke's hospital Asaba, has put the hospital for sale in order to raise money for settlement.
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| Ivwurie |
According to the contractor, " it was understandable that Ivwurie may have been angered after I refused to grant his request on November 4, this year, when he visited my residence in Asaba and made impossible demands that I should refund N7.4 billion collected for non completion of the Asaba airport project and the 46-kilometre Sector C section of the Asaba-Ughelli dualisation road project".
Okpuno, who claimed to have a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of the visit, which he said he was ready to play at the right time, stressed that it had never been the policy of the company to accede to such requests, considering its huge participation in the infrastructural development in the state.
He said: “Recent expression by this legislator in the media to “probe” all contracts awarded to the company is quite understood. We are confident that we can defend all our obligations to the Delta State Government since the creation of the state at the appropriate time and place.”
Okpunor stated that despite outstanding payments for duly certified payment certificates running into billions of naira, it was baffling that Ivwurie has arrogated to himself, the functions of the executive arm of government by unilaterally determining the value of works executed by the company.
He added: “Ivwurie has assessed and determined the payments released to ULO Consultants without clearing with the office of the Ministry of Finance, the actual payments made and for what purpose.”
According to our source, Ivwurie who spoke on phone from Benin Airport in Edo State on his way to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention in Abuja, vehemently denied the allegation, insisting that he did not at any time demand anything from Okpunor.
He read out a text message he said was sent to him on November 16 at 9.24 A.M, by the ULO boss: “Good morning honourable. For your information only, Me and the SPD have arranged a welfare package. My boy will deliver it today after the inspection. His name is Jerome.”
The lawmaker said in reply that same day at 11:41am, he wrote: “Thank you very much for the offer sir, but I am not interested in taking any money from you sir. Respectfully,
Evans Ivwurie.”
Our source also said, Okpunor fired back at Ivwurie by 5:46pm same day, vehemently denying being the source of the earlier text message: “Good evening honourable. Pls, am just seeing your text message. I didn’t remember offering you any money. I hope nobody did on my behalf. Thank you.”
However, Okpunor said the welfare package by him and the Special Project Director (SPD), a government official, was not at all about money, but normal entertainment when officials come inspecting.
He retorted: “In my text message, did you see anything about money? I never offered him money and made it clear in my response. Why would I and the SPD, a government official, offer him money? For what?”
Information reaching the stable of FLAGNEWS NIGERIA, has it that the ULO boss, who is also the owner of St. Luke's hospital Asaba, has put the hospital for sale in order to raise money for settlement.
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