Posted by The long-awaited forensic audit report of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration has been issued by the Abia State Government, ending weeks of speculation and a verbal brawl between the media aides of current Governor Alex Otti and Ikpeazu’s predecessor.
Following Monday night’s press briefing for the State Executive Council meeting, Commissioner of Information Prince Okey Kanu published the 360-page dossier.
An examination of the report prepared by the world-renowned auditing company Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler, KPMG, reveals several financial dealings and purported violations committed by the state’s previous government.
It goes on to explain how the government approved the transfer of N10 billion from state funds to construct Abia Airport, and how the contractor was then told to deposit the money into 32 separate accounts.
Since then, former governor Ikpeazu has denied any wrongdoing in the airport deal, stating that the money was redirected to road infrastructure development at the behest of traditional rulers.
The Information Commissioner stated before Monday night’s dossier release that the public needed to get a peek at the document so they could stay informed about what really happened, rather than being swayed by the propaganda of individuals who felt exposed by the report.
“Therefore, the report will be made public. Our goal is for readers to make sense of it. “The content of the report is ready,” he announced.
Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, also spoke out, saying that the report’s indictees included those who had previously been hosted by the EFCC.
“Those indicted by the KPMG report have been invited by the EFCC.” In a COVID-19 year, N10 was paid out to construct an airport that does not exist; instead, we are talking about N62 billion!