Okorocha explains feud with World Bank project in Imo

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has explained that he ordered the freezing of the World Bank’s Nigeria Environment Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), because he discovered discrepancies in the award of the contracts for erosion project in the state.Okorocha made the explanation on Monday, while fielding questions from journalists at Government House, Owerri.

According to him, World Bank officials had allegedly awarded a contract for the control of an erosion site at Uruala, Ideato North, Local Council, which had already been earmarked for award by the state.

He claimed to have paid a counterpart fund of about N500million in various World Bank funded projects in the state, and wondered why an erosion site, which had been billed to be awarded by the state at the cost of N1.7billion was also awarded at about N9.7billion.

The Governor insisted the government was not consulted in carrying out their projects, hence his directive of freezing the agency’s account.His words: “They did not inform governor…They did not carry the state along. We are trying to meet with the World Bank to resolve the issue.”

The Guardian gathered that the World Bank’s office located at New Owerri axis was neglected, while officials were allegedly denied payment of allowances for over a year on the governor’s directive, while the project coordinator was also suspended and redeployed.