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By Madu Obi
The Anambra State chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, has denied the allegation that he embezzled local government funds during his tenure as the chairman of Onitsha South local government area between 2003 and 2006.
The current Transition Committee Chairman of Onitsha South LGA, Mr. Emeka Orji had accused Ejidike of not accounting for millions of naira being revenue accruing to the council from the motor park close to the headquarters of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Bridgehead, Onitsha, during his tenure.
The local government chairman had also said that Chief Ngozi Okpagu, the man who manages the park, had an agreement with the council over the remittance of revenue from the NIWA park to the local government, but regretted that such funds never got to council coffers.
In a recent report, he accused Ejidike of fraudulently signing an agreement with the operator of the park, Chief Okpagu for collection of revenue from the park, which he has been diverting.
But denying the allegation, Ejidike said the park in question has nothing to do with the local government, adding that there are settled court cases to that effect.
Ejidike said: " How can someone, after leaving office for over 20 years, come to sign an agreement with the operator of the park to collect money? "Let it be known that the operator of the park was paying to NIWA and not Onitsha South local government.
"Besides, this is a private park which has nothing to do with the local government. For the current local government chairman to say that everything happened under me and that I entered into agreement with the operator is totally false.
There was no way I could have entered into agreement with him over what I had no control.
"The matter had been there even before I was made Onitsha South Council Chairman between 2003-2006. " I am, therefore, shocked that the local government chairman could make this kind of allegation against me.
I had wanted to ignore it, but because it is said that silence could be interpreted to mean admittance, I decided to put the records straight.
" Since I left office as local government chairman, there had been about seven administrations in Onitsha South and I don't know why the chairman should be calling my name."
"It is on record, according to Decree No 13 of 1997 establishing NIWA, that for any known water channel declare by the Federal Government in any state of the federation, there will be a measurement of 100 metres from the water bank, and that is what is called "The right of way to NIWA authority" and they use that to service the water ways. So it has no interference with the state or local government authorities".
In his reaction, Chief Okpagu, the Managing Director of J.N.Okpagu and Sons Ltd, vindicated the State APC Chairman of the allegations, said he had never paid any revenue accruing to Onitsha South to Ejidike.
He noted that the controversial land was allocated to him by the federal government and not Onitsha South as being claimed, adding that he deals directly with the federal government through NIMA.
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