The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress asserts that Governor Sheriff Oborevweri inflated the contracts for three flyovers by an estimated ₦50 billion.
Oborevweri is alleged by the party to have inflated the project’s cost, originally estimated at ₦78 billion, by ₦50 billion, raising doubts about its completion within the next eight years.
The APC’s state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Valentine Onojeghuo, disclosed to reporters that the governor has maneuvered a variation in the project’s cost, pushing it up to ₦125 billion.
He said, ‘A few weeks ago, a group, Delta Contractors Forum, raised a red flag when it alerted that the N78 billion flyover project was a total fraud, insisting contrary to the claim by the state government that the construction company was mobilized with N19 billion – which is about 25 per cent of the contract sum, the governor actually fully mobilized Julius Berger with the total cost of N78 billion.’
‘The Delta Contractors’ Forum further alleged that the governor connived with the construction company to get a kickback of N50 billion, while the governor has arranged a variation of the cost of the project to jack it up to N125 billion.’
‘With the groundbreaking of the project last Monday, the Delta State APC raised a confirmation alarm that, indeed, the multi-billion naira flyover project was not only a ruse, but a conduit pipe to fleece Deltans of over N78 billion.’
‘How can Delta State, with so much resources be talking about three flyovers at this point of its existence, when state like Rivers, under its former Governor Nyesome Wike constructed over nine flyovers for N63 billion before his exit from government?’
‘Why is Delta State under Sheriff spending N78 billion to construct just only three flyovers?’
Read also: Oborevwori Victorious As Court Rejects APC, LP, SDP Petitions
The party noted that it was impossible for three flyovers, which are not up to 1,500 metres and the expansion of the NPA-DSC Expressway from Effurun roundabout to cost up to N78 billion.
Onojeghuo also noted that the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State and the incumbent Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, did not spend up to N78 billion on the 18 flyovers he constructed in the state.
Consequently, he urged Deltans to request that Oborevwori provide a detailed report on the total allocations and internally generated revenue (IGR) accumulated in the last five months of his leadership.
In response to the allegation, Mr. Latimore Oghenesivbe, the Executive Assistant on Communication and Orientation to the Delta State governor, characterized the claim as devoid of merit and crafted with malicious intent.
Oghenesivbe threw down the gauntlet, challenging the APC to provide a transparent account of the process they used to allege a N50 billion contract padding.
He said, ‘The allegation was not supported with veritable evidence, and therefore should be discarded.’
‘The construction of the three flyovers bridges, roads expansion and pedestrians, which was flagged off on Monday by Governor Oborevweri cannot be faulted by any right thinking Deltan or political party that means well for the state.’
‘This mischievous allegation clearly revealed that APC is anti-progress in Nigeria. First, APC lied by saying that the N78 billion contract sum was paid upfront to Julius Berger Plc.’
Oghenesivbe highlighted that Julius Berger plans to employ advanced technology and engineering proficiency to complete the project in just 27 months.