Group alleges fraud in N165 billion Delta road projects, government denies claim

Gov. Seriake Dickson

A pressure group in Delta State under the platform of Watching Eyes has alleged fraud in the N165b the state government claimed to have spent on 148 road projects in the last two years.

The group condemned the contradiction in the amount spent, especially the Commissioner for Works, Chief James Auguoye’s claims that government spent N150b.

It disclosed that Watching Eyes was formed to monitor the political, economic, and infrastructure developments of the state, saying the conflicting figures proved that there was fraud in the road projects.

In a statement by its President, Paul Awanmaka and Secretary, Godwin Oboh, it flayed what it described as Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s abrasive, ethnic politics, and condemned his media propaganda to hoodwink Delta people that he meant well for them.

The statement reads: “We members of the Watching Eyes have found Governor Okowa's Agenda weak and his administration laced with media propaganda.

“There are conflicting figures of N165b and N150b spent on the 148 roads the government claimed to have constructed and rehabilitated. The road projects is a fraud and we have resolved to follow the matter to the end.”

The group, however, said it would not fold its hands and watch the state government and its officials engage in looting the state treasury, adding that there was nothing to show for the government’s claims that it had fixed all basic infrastructure in the state.

But in a swift reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Charles Aniagwu, described the group as faceless, saying, the opposition was using it to score cheap political points.

He said Governor Okowa’s provision of basic infrastructure had been evident in the last two years, adding that the group’s misgivings of Okowa’s leadership, showed it was base and faceless.

Commissioner for Works, Chief James Auguoye had during inspection of the road projects told journalists in 2017 that the expansion of the link roads was to lay a solid foundation for the socio-economic development of the state.

He added that the on-going 4.27km Owa-Eke-Owa-Alero road expansion and drainage project in Ika North East Local Council would be completed in no time.

He also said two road projects in Oghara were near completion, as the state government had concluded plans to address the major challenges facing the completion of the township road, adding that 1.8km portion of the 3.7km Oghara Teaching Hospital link road project had been executed.