The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary in Abia State, Eric Ikwuagwu, has made an allegation regarding the awarding of the Port Harcourt to Aba road contract to Julius Berger by Governor Alex Otti’s administration.
In a interview with Arise TV, Ikwuagwu claimed the contract was awarded during the transition period before Governor Alex Otti was officially sworn into office, raising questions about procurement protocol. “Even before the administration was sworn in on May 29th, they’ve already handed over the contract to Julius Berger, and we’re asking why,” Ikwuagwu stated. “At that point, Alex Otti was not a governor yet; he was just a governor-elect, and then he handed the contract to Julius Berger when he wasn’t governor.”
The PDP spokesperson emphasized the unusual nature of the timing. “I say this with every sense of responsibility that there were two governors at that point: Alex Otti, the incoming governor, and Dr. Ikpeazu was still a governor too,” he said.
He further alleged that the construction company director and Governor Otti had a significant connection. “At that point, he took the management of Julius Berger’s side to give them that contract. The Chairman of the Board of Julius Berger was still the Chairman of the Board of his bank,” he claimed.
The PDP official also pointed to a correlation between Signature Bank’s growth and the state government’s activities. “At that point, Signature Bank had only two branches. Today, we’re talking about 14 branches of Signature Bank. While the state is shrinking, Signature Bank is growing,” Ikwuagwu noted.
He called for investigation by appropriate authorities: “And so, we’re asking, what is happening? It is the job of EFCC to do that for us.”
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