These are not the best of times for some contractors handling various infrastructural projects at the Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri, as they are being owed millions of naira after funds meant to pay them were allegedly diverted by Alex Mbata, a close ally of Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Recall that igberetvnews about a month ago reported on an alleged multimillion naira scam rocking IMSU following the lodging of the sum of N800 million released for capital projects at the institution in a bank account so as to use the profit for personal purposes.
The projects under the TETFund 2011/2012/2013 consolidated projects were awarded to contractors for the construction of various buildings at IMSU’s Owerri campus.
But of the projects have been abandoned following the alleged diversion of the sum of N800 million meant to pay the contractors by Alex Mbata, Okorocha’s right hand man.
However, the school authority has dismissed allegations that funds released by TETFund have been diverted to a fixed deposit account.
The public relations officer of the institution, Ralph Njoku-Obi in a telephone chat with our correspondent had said there was no truth in the report that all contractors working on projects in IMSU had stopped working.
He said work was still on-going on the senate building, the news library and other projects, adding that those contractors who had stopped work probably needed to sort out some grey areas.
On the contrary however, when Naij.com visited IMSU, in Owerri, it found out that the institution’s campus in was filled with abandoned building projects left at different stages of completion.
See pictures of some abandoned IMSU TETFund project site:-
Some contractors who spoke with our correspondent said all TETFund projects which are capital projects in IMSU have been abandoned because money is not being advanced to the contractors in charge.
