An indigenous contractor, Chief Ako Obioma, the Chairman/CEO of Worldwide Environmental Technologies Limited, has raised allegations of financial impropriety and contractual  violations against Abia State Governor Alex Otti.


Chief Obioma speaking during a press conference accused alleged that the cost of an asphalt overlay for  1.3-kilometre  portion  of Dozie Way, (former IBB) at a staggering cost of N750 million under direct labour was outrageous.


Obioma explained that his company  completed the total  4.4 km Dozie Way stretch project in 2016 at  a cost of ₦930.6 million, but he could not complete work on the road as  the then State government  refused to honor arbitration and court judgments mandating payment of ₦581 million as part of the contract sum.


“The overlay completed by the Ministry of Works for just 1.3 kilometres cost ₦750 million, yet they have filed a stay of execution against paying us the ₦581 million that the arbitration and courts ordered,” Obioma said.


In a related development, Obioma described Gov Otti's flag off of the 6.9 kilometres Umuopara Ring Road in September 2024 as deceptive alleging that his company has already done 50% of the job before suspending work due to unpaid interim certificates totaling ₦279.3 million.


 Obioma further explained that his company was invited in 2007 by then Governor Theodore Orji to support Abia’s development through road and infrastructure construction. Despite completing several projects, he claimed that successive administrations failed to pay mobilization fees or settle debts owed to his company, leading to a prolonged financial dispute.


In 2016, Obioma said he sought legal redress against the State government. The matter was referred to an arbitration panel, which in 2022 awarded his company ₦2.7 billion for completed projects, including Dozie Way. The judgment was upheld by the Abia State High Court in May 2024.


However, Obioma alleged that Gov Otti’s administration has disregarded the court order, opting instead to undertake direct labor rehabilitation of some of the disputed projects, including Dozie Way, while re-awarding others like the Umuopara Ring Road.


The contractor criticized the government for announcing a new contract for the 6.9-kilometres Umuopara Ring Road in September 2024, despite his company’s ongoing involvement in the project. According to him, Worldwide Environmental Technologies had completed over 50% of the project before suspending work due to unpaid interim certificates totaling ₦279.3 million.


“The governor’s intention to flag off the project from Umunwanwa, the last village on the route, is deceptive. Our company already completed significant sections of the road covering four out of five villages. Starting at the end of the route creates a false impression of a new beginning,” Obioma asserted.


He also described Gov Otti’s commissioning of Dozie Way as disingenuous, emphasizing that the project had been completed in 2016, apart from the asphalt binder course


In his detailed statement,  Obioma urged Governor Otti to approach governance with “trust and good conscience,” emphasizing the need to honor existing contracts and judicial mandates. He also invited journalists to conduct on-the-spot assessments of the disputed projects to ascertain the state government’s claims.


“I commend the governor’s intention to complete the Umuopara Ring Road, but it is essential to uphold the principles of fairness and justice. The government must recognize the contributions of contractors who have supported the State’s development despite challenges,” he stated


Obioma also referenced Governor Otti’s complaints to the Minister of Niger Delta about unpaid certificates for an NDDC road project in the governor’s village, contrasting it with his own experience of handling multiple abandoned projects without receiving due payments.


The contractor vowed to continue seeking legal redress if the State government fails to meet its obligations. “While I hope for dialogue and resolution, we will not hesitate to pursue all constitutional remedies to ensure justice,” he concluded.