The Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State Government to investigate the alleged sale of valued assets and other related matters, under the administration of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi, has been challenged to summon the state Governor, Nyesom Wike and former Deputy Governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru, over the Monorail project embarked upon by the Ameachi administration.
The Commission, which began its hearing on Monday, August 24, 2015, had invited Amaechi alongside other individuals to appear before the Commission to offer explanations on the Monorail project.
An impeccable source (name withheld), close to the former Commissioner for Transport, George Tolofari, said that for the purpose of transparency, the commission should invite Wike and the former Deputy Governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru, who, he claimed, were part of the Monorail process when it started.
“At every stage of the Monorail, the project has been transparent. The former Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru also sat on a committee to direct the discussions with TSI. The records are there. Even Wike should be invited,” he said.
The Commission, at the hearing on the Monorail project, had established that Amaechi’s government spent N33.9 billion from the initial N50 billion earmarked for the entire Phase 1 of the controversial project.
It also noted that the original scope of the monorail project was 21.7 kilometres and valued at 250 million Euros.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Mrs. Stella Wigwe, who was cross-examined by the Commission’s counsel, Dr. Zaccheus Adangor, based on her memorandum, told the Justice George Omereji-led probe panel, that the state had earlier paid N11 billion to TSI Property and Investments Holdings Limited, which had 80 percent equity in the Monorail deal, but the company later backed out without making any financial commitment as agreed.
Also, an engineer in the Ministry of Transport, Saya Antioch, disclosed that engineers in the ministry were sidelined, as there was much secrecy about the monorail project.
However, activities at the Commission of Inquiry, especially on the Monorail project, has received a backlash.
The anonymous source said the Commission lacked the experience to investigate the project, pointing out that it would take a team of experts and professional engineers to ascertain the value of the magnitude of a project like the Monorail.
He pointed out that the project was far beyond its financial implications, adding that the panel should contract the services of auditors to ascertain the financial value of the project. Speaking further, the source said bringing professionals and expatriates before the full glare of the media and the general public for scrutiny would not address the issues, adding that the Monorail project was a well-conceived project by former Governor Amaechi, which was in line with his vision to build a new city, the Greater Port Harcourt City, meant to decongest the old Port Harcourt city.
“You will recall that the former Governor was building a new city and that point in time, Government was seeking for willing private sector partners, who would be able to partner with government on the development of infrastructure.
“All over the world, the proper way to seek for the answers to the challenges of finance is to seek for credible partners in the private sector. This is the model you see in the new cities all over the world. The approach to the monorail project was a PPP approach with a foreign firm, TSI.
“First of all, we would have expected that people check the documents that are already domiciled in the Ministry of Transport; go through the documents you have before bringing the initiators before a Judicial panel of inquiry.
“The Monorail is not law; it is a specialised aspect of engineering. It is expected that, those asking if the Monorail was built in line with international best practices, must first of all, understand the benchmark of international best practices. You cannot understand it, if you are not an engineer”.
He asked: “I am concerned about the impression behind the setting up of the Commission. Are you trying to say that Amaechi was wrong to have conceived the project? Then, if your answer is in the affirmative, the next question should be if the project followed the trend it is meant to.
“I bet to differ that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry cannot give us those answers because the people sitting down in that panel lack the engineering competence.
“And, then, if you want to find out about the accountability of the monies spent, then you have to go through the documentation that has been made available to the Ministry and bring out the expenditures that you feel are not in accordance with due process”.
The source further said that the Commission had given the impression that they already have answers to un-asked questions.
He noted that the incumbent Governor, Wike, had at different fora condemned the Monorail project.
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