Governor Chimaroke Nnamani has been so many things to so
many people at different times. There are many who would swear
the agile and bubbly state chief executive is one of the
Frankenstein monsters of the current democratic process,
pointing at his human rights track record between 1999 and
2003. In particular is his longstanding feud with a certain
Catholic priest who accused him as the mastermind of the
adoration ground stampede, which left many dead. But there are
those who see him as belonging to the league of proactive,
achievement oriented governors, the good man who came to Enugu
State to carry it forward with his track record of success in
the medical field way back in the United States.
If
you belong to the former, school of thought, kindly join us on
a cruise round the major developmental projects of the state
first and the chants of ebeano, ebeano, ebeano from his grass
root constituency, would deafen the atmosphere and leave you
wondering if the equivocations on the governor are not just
the dead wishes of men and women who are simply jealous of his
impressive score card in governance. Two, Nnamani drives
himself to showcase his popularity though his traducers would
argue that a governor who drives about with a string of
escorts following, cannot claim to the popular wish of the
people.
The issue at stake had little to do with the domestic
altercations of husband and wife. And your guess is as good as
ours who the husband or wife is in this context, or the issue
of human rights, though it would have been an excellent
opportunity to look at the governor eye ball to eye ball and
see him open up on some of those discourses and accusations
levelled against him before now, that is before this vote or
test of the popular will proceeds. Yet there is something of
an Nnamani mystique, which renders the atmosphere lively and
his accusations typical of Lucifer the prosecutor. His
gargantuan achievements as an architect and organizer of men
and materials befuddle the imagination at a time when our
sense of finesse has taken a backstage. Nnamani bubbles
oblivious of what those who hold him and his achievements in
disdain think about him. His worldview is that of a man who
wants history to record him as one of the greats that did
bestride the world like the Shakespearean colossus, Emperor
Julius Caesar who walked the streets of Rome like a god come
down to earth not minding what the lesser mortals felt about
him.
After a near rough ride in the air, the governor whose
genius in foetal and maternal medicine has been oft repeated
for effect, shoves in from nowhere into the ramshackle office
of his commissioner for Information, Igbonekwu Ogazimora. His
appearance or is it disappearance, manifests in the style of
Agatha Christie’s Scarlet Pimpernel-Hercule Poirot, as he
reminds everyone he belonged to the third generation Methodist
Church familiy by inheritance way back in the days of the
legendary composer and musician Harcourt White who settled at
the Uzuakoli Leper Colony after he was healed of leprosy.
It is many years away from those days of Methodism
but its modern day offspring seems to have anchored his
laudable achievements by being un-methodical which was why the
EFCC for example is wondering why a particular construction
company has remained a recurring decimal in the huge project
disbursements that went on in Enugu State since 1999. But if
Nnamani were a football coach, he would have been called
Chimaroke Arsene Wenger Nnamani, because he believes in a
winning team remaining on course until as the Americans would
say, quoting the governor, “the old lady sings,” to declare
the concert concluded.
In this eyeball to eye ball interview, punches were
exchanged and smiles withheld. When he lost the war, the
governor was humble to admit he had lost and when it was
necessary to hold his head high, he reminded you he was an
Nnamani, not just Nnamani in case you had forgotten. But no
body was intimidated because history was being chronicled; a
big inquisition was on course.
Deep into night, Nnamani drove the duo round his projects,
waking up the sleepy mai guards to underscore his point, that
he is no lame duck governor.
Your Excellency, the EFCC says from its report you are
worth N50 billion naira; are you worth N50 billion?
The news of my being worth N50 billion or may be in the
neighbourhood of $400 million is news to me. It is certainly
surprising. I must answer your questions in the context of the
report, which I have read. It talked about N50 billion and the
report says this amount-N50 billion may not have been
accumulated between 2003 and now, with the possibility that
2003 till now may have accounted for just N2.8 billion and in
essence that N47.2 billion was made between 1999 and 2003. Of
course it is not true. Not only is it not true, it is worrying
to me and this affects my reputation both in Nigeria and
abroad especially in the United States where I have friends
and professional colleagues. It is very, very worrying. All I
can say is that it is not true. There is no such possibility
and it can’t be true. I am worth my certificate and specialist
in maternal and foetal medicine as a specialist obstetrician
and gynaecologist who came here to serve my people, to serve
Nigeria. That’s my worth and that’s the worth that is
important to me, the worth of service to man.
His net worth in 1999 before the Code of Conduct Tribunal
and in 2003 during his second term in office..
Well if we make reference to my assets declaration papers,
then that question can be answered correctly but I cannot tell
you off the curve what is on my assets declaration. I wouldn’t
want to say that and when you look at it, it does not add up
but certainly not millions, how much more talk about billions.
If the assets value has appreciated since the last
declaration…
It would have appreciated in so far as they concern
my salaries and emoluments, which largely appear untouched
since I have the privilege of being fed, of being taken care
of essentially by government.
On why he faults the EFCC report on the governor…
I have read the report, I have studied the report, the
report basically if analysed properly, essentially exonerates
Enugu State in proper context.
Let’s look at the issue of contracts. Remember the origin
of the investigation was as a result of multiple petitions by
different individuals alleging that the governor of the state
owns Marlum Construction Company and that contracts were
inflated and that there were kickbacks. It is not in my
position to ask the question or to remind you to make the case
for the prosecution since we are going to go to court
sometime. But I am just doing this for the sake of offering
information. They talked about ownership of a construction
company-Marlum Construction Company, they talked about the
inflation of contracts, they talked about kickbacks; these
reports completely exonerate the governor and the government
of Enugu State in that regard. I say that because this report
says certainly it does not attribute the ownership of the
company to Enugu State or the governor or any individual or
individuals in government. These are international companies
owned by Italians. So we are exonerated in that regard.
On the issue of inflation of contracts, this report also
exonerates the government because this report talks of
over-pricing to the tune of N2.8 billion. When you look at a
total contract value of about N30 billion and you have two or
three… essentially there were two engineers who came on what
appeared to be a sight seeing visit. They spent three days,
three days of hurry, hurrying from one project to the other,
no actual physical measurement done during the visit and they
came out with the result that there is a N2.8 billion
difference in a N30 billion contract value. That’s certainly
less than 10 percent. Are you following me?
These contracts were awarded based on this. I am not an
engineer but there are certain factors that determine contract
price in terms of cost of materials, in terms of cost of
labour, in terms of fluctuations in energy prices of fuel or
diesel etc, in terms of weather, in terms of the climate at
that particular time. I believe that even in terms of
statistics, it is not statistically significant, certainly
not, certainly not. And under the system we operate, the Enugu
State government within its authority, with its due process,
can award contracts of whatever value it so chooses as long as
due process is respected and the bidding is transparent. So in
so far as the issue of contract inflation arises, we are
completely exonerated. This report also exonerates the
government in the area of kickbacks because even though the
report says that the governor of Enugu State is worth N50
billion, I will rather prefer to say US$400 million because
that’s what my friends and colleagues are talking about and
they have already lined up waiting to see what largesse I will
throw in their way. Again when you look at that, you will see
that the price difference of N2.8 billion, assuming it was a
kickback, would not account for the N50 billion estimated
worth for the period of 2003 to 2006. So in the area of
contract inflation, which is a major plank of the accusation,
this report completely exonerates the government of Enugu
State.
What is the next issue? The issue of ownership of
Rainbownet. The government of Enugu State and the people of
Enugu State appreciate the presence of Rainbownet in Enugu, we
appreciate the presence of Cosmo FM in Enugu State. We are
glad that that investment is in Enugu State and not elsewhere.
I also acknowledge that I have relations, family relations,
who have major shareholdings in these companies. There is no
apology for that, absolutely nothing. It is not new in this
country where relatives of people in government own companies
or engage in business. These are adults and there is democracy
in the land in so far as Enugu State government either in
terms of leverage or in practical terms, were not involved in
these companies. They run their businesses and pay taxes to
the government. The government and the governor are not
involved. There is no Enugu State government money involved in
the running of these companies. We appreciate their presence
here, no apologies; we have said that time and time again.
These are companies doing business in Enugu, in the South
East, in Nigeria and we are happy to have them here. There are
many other people in government whose relatives are in
business. We appreciate their enquiry, which was done subject
to the petition. We appreciate it.
When EFCC officials came here in January, we welcomed
them because we do realise it is in our interest for these
issues to be investigated. It is even in our greater interest
for the investigation to be carried out while we are in
government. So the issue is not who owns Rainbownet because
under a democratic system, anybody can own any business. And I
am proud of these people. I am proud of my sister. She did not
abscond from Nigeria; she was not even here when the
investigation started. She is not a politician, she couldn’t
take the heat. She could not take the heat of continuous
battering on the pages of newspapers with all the
name-calling. This is a certified urban and country planner,
certified public accountant that rose to the highest level in
the US public service, a level just before the level that is a
political appointment. I am proud of her, she is dear to me.
So no apologies, no apologies.
The next issue relates to local governments. You know
what the constitution says about local management of local
government funds. You know the affirmation by the Supreme
Court. It becomes a constitutional paradox. If an agency does
not have supervisory control over an organisation, whether a
sub agency can also exercise that right. So granted that our
constitution has been around for seven years or thereabout, is
it not a subject for interpretation, re-interpretations,
questioning and re-questioning? It is our advice that the
Federal Government or its agencies and sub-agencies have no
business in local government funds. That is not to say that
where there is documented embezzlement of local government
funds, every body has business in it. If there is documented
embezzlement, the man on the street has business in it, the
Federal Government has business, the state government has
business, NGOs, civil societies, have business if there is
documented evidence of fraud and embezzlement. But issues of
management of those funds are issues that have to do with
state governments under the supervision and enquiry of state
houses of assembly. So we have reviewed four basic issues-the
issues of enrichment, ownership of a construction
company, we reviewed the issues of private businesses, we have
reviewed the issue of local governments. The next is the issue
of refunds of federal government projects executed by the
state.
The same opposition denied that Enugu State
government did any federal government projects, that those
roads were not done, that there is no law school, law school
built by the Federal Government, P&T, this and that. The
same people are now saying that in fact these things were done
but refunds were made. These refunds just from the statutory
allocations went to the central pool and were disbursed based
on the budgetary provisions.
If his administration has preference for only two
construction companies…
Yes we do.
In spite of the principle of due process and competitive
bidding…
We have had to address this issue on several fora, even in
several interviews with This Day. How did we start? What are
you talking about? You are talking about Enugu State, a state
that is in the bottom three in terms of revenue allocation, a
state that when we started, we received bulk pack N100 million
a month- that was our initial allocation, N80 million to N100
million. From there it went to N400 million, from there it
went to N500 million and now we receive bulk pack N1.5
billion. What do we do with the N1.5 billion? Salaries for
teachers, civil servants, subventions to parastatals, bulk
pack N800 million to one billion naira every month. You have
N500 million left. We use the N500 million for
emergencies and payment to contractors. We embarked on very
ambitious, gigantic projects-the permanent site of a state
university, the permanent site of a teaching hospital, an
international conference centre with a 5000 capacity main bowl
and a medium bowl with a capacity for two thousand people and
another that sits 1000 people, judiciary headquarters, a
tunnel, multiple roads. We embarked on all these projects at a
time, at one time. We now realised that if we use multiple
contractors, because of the finances available to us, we would
not be able to mobilise all those contractors. In other words,
if for all those projects we were to use five, six or ten
contractors, each contractor would have to be paid a certain
mobilisation fee, which is a certain percentage. Mobilisation
on the university project which is about bulk pack N14
billion, means there is no way we could mobilise different
contractors for the university, for the teaching hospital, for
the judiciary and so on. Technically, there was no way we
could carry it. Two, in terms of payment for work done, if we
have different contractors and each contractor brought his
certificate of completion, it means for the job to continue,
you would have to pay each of them but if you have one
contractor with a mobilisation for the university, the
contractor could also be working on the other site and if at
the end of the month, there is a generation of payment on any
of the projects, the contractor would continue to work on all
the projects. He cannot stop working. So in effect, the
project is contractor financed because he is using payment for
one project for all the other projects.
Enugu State went through a benchmarking process…
So we now reasoned that for as long as there was a
bidding process… of course these contracts were advertised in
the dailies, remember I told you that Enugu State went through
a benchmarking process that involved about 35 states including
the FCT. The process looked at budgetary and fiscal policy, it
looked at vision, it looked at transparency and communication.
Enugu State came first. We scored the highest. The issue of
contract award was also, part of the analysis. I would tell
you where they faulted us; they faulted us in terms of
publication of awards even though we published tenders but
they faulted because after the contracts were awarded we could
not document that they were published in the papers and we
took note of this and started doing just that. So as long as
there was publication and communication, as long as there was
bidding and the contractors biddings were acceptable to us who
did the award, that was the secret, that was the only way a
state with an allocation of about N1.5 billion could have done
what we were able to do and you are free to see them. I
challenge you, if there is any state in Nigeria that has what
we have on the ground in Enugu State or if in the history of
this country, any government has put down what we put on the
ground within a 15-month period. The only way we could have
done it, was through this process. Even the EFCC investigation
has confirmed that the company is not owned by government or
the governor, in which case it is not pre-determined, in which
case there is no partisan interest in it. It has also proved
even from its own measurement, that there was, may be 10
percent plus minus difference in terms of the value, which is
also subject to dispute by government and by the experts of
the contractors because you have different experts. The report
also showed there was no kick back. So it was a secret we used
in order to achieve success and I thank God it worked and I
take responsibility.
If this ingenuous and plausible idea where only two
contractors were the ones bidding and winning the contracts,
did not negate the essence of competitive bidding…
No, no, no, no. No no no. No, it’s not two companies, other
companies too bid.
But these two companies always won…
They were winning. Yes. It made sense. Do you know why they
were winning? My brothers, they are on the ground, their cost
is cheaper, they have already mobilised. For you to mobilise
to build a university, you needed to have a work plan or
something. For you to mobilise on the road, you have to first
of all identify where you are going to get your raw materials
such as laterite, chippings, rocks, you have to employ your
staff, etc. You can’t compete with a company that is already
on the ground; this company has 7000 to 8000 workers. The
companies have been around for so long that even the president
confirmed he knew the initial owner and that he was awarding
contracts to him as a Federal Commissioner for Works. They
have a record. Is it not in my interest to continue awarding
them contracts as long as their bidding is within reasonable
space with other companies even if they bid because they have
a record? They have a record. So it does not mean that we own
the company. That was the same thing we did with Strabag.
The allegation that Strabag left Enugu because it refused
to be used for contract inflation and graft…
That is absolute nonsense; it is nonsense because in the
first place, Strabag was a company doing business in Nigeria
before our government arrived. The percentage of business they
were doing in Enugu State was less than two percent of their
total business. What did Strabag do in Enugu State? They built
roads; what else? Strabag is a major Federal Government
contractor building Benin whatever roads all over Nigeria
before we came. It is an international company. Enugu State’s
component of Strabagís business in Nigeria was like this, a
tiny bit. If they left, it was not because of Enugu. If it
were Enugu, they could have stayed because Enugu was giving
them business. And they paid kick backs to nobody, nobody,
nobody. So to suggest that Strabag left because of graft is
pure mischief, pure mischief. It is not my business to make a
case why Strabag left the country even though I know why they
left; it’s not my job.
The EFCC claim that revenue coming from excess crude
account and running into billions meant for local governments,
were diverted by the state government which compelled these
local government chairmen to raise bank drafts in favour of
the state government…
No it did not run into billions. The report claimed it was
N1.5 billion. In the spirit of transparency and in the spirit
of communication, I should be making these explanations in the
law court.
The governor…
I can say clearly that local government funds were not
diverted. The state government is indeed satisfied with the
disposition of local government funds and the House Committee
on Local Governments and General Assembly is also
satisfied. So in so far as management of local
government funds are concerned, it is okay; the funds were not
mismanaged, it was not correct. There was no embezzlement of
local government funds.
This contradicts the President’s statement that reports
reaching him from the states suggest a lot of sleaze and
malfeasance are going on in the local governments through the
council chairmen and the state governments, and how he checks
these excesses…
Local governments are administered by local governments and
supervised by the state House of Assembly. These are
governments supervised by the state House of Assembly. So
local governments have.. is it judiciary or whatever?
Let me not go into what I don’t know, I am not a lawyer but
local governments as an entity are held responsible for the
receipt, the disposition and administration of their funds
under supervision by the House of Assembly. The information I
am volunteering to you is the information I have to the best
of my knowledge as the governor of Enugu State. The
constitution provides under section 8a or 7 or whatever that
all monies accruing to the federation shall be shared to the
federal government, to the state government and the local
governments through the state government. It also provides
that state governments shall set up a joint local government
account committee that will meet to now share the allocations
to the various local governments. That, we do in Enugu State.
You must also understand that because of our level of
development and I am being very honest with you in the
interest of transparency and communication, because of what
could be an overwhelming presence of politicians over local
government staff, what we have done as a government is to try
to professionalise the local government staff and guarantee
their position, to avoid unnecessary dues, unnecessary
transfers and undue interference and also to keep talking to
the local government chairmen: “You take care of your
local governments, you take responsibility for your local
governments. But I cannot look at you and deny that I am not
aware that there are deficiencies in the system, There are
local governments who would get their allocations and they
would not pay such departments as civil defence, some would
not even pay the youth corpers claiming that their allocation
were not complete or that the money did not come, that their
allocations were yet to be made. No system is perfect even in
Enugu State, I know cases where civil servants have received
their salaries and claimed they had not been paid. I have had
a personal experience where a relation of mine whose mother is
a teacher said the mother had not been paid for three months
and when I investigated the matter, I found out the mother was
just giving an excuse. So I am saying that no system is
perfect and that there could be leakages here and there
because of the breakdown in the system, because of the
non-professionalism and because of politicians who perhaps
because of insecurity would want to settle themselves as much
as possible within a short time. That is where the House of
Assembly and other supervisory control mechanisms have to come
to play. It is not a perfect system.
On the claim by the EFCC report that it did not have
access to contracts done between 1999 and 2003 and so could
not do a thorough job on that period…
Thank you very much for bringing this up. I am glad that
this question came up. The EFCC investigation of Enugu State
was in its tenth month by the 4th of October. It is an
investigation that has been very, very intense, highly
intense. Itís an investigation where experts came. These
experts were given all documents-letters of intent, contract
agreements, letters of awards, architectural and structural
drawings as well as certificates of completion, warrants of
payment and bills of quantity.
Not from government but contractors…
From both parties, from both parties. Consultants,
contractors and governments but the bulk of the
documents they had came from contractors and consultants but
documents are the same, a letter of intent, a letter of award,
your offer of employment whether it comes from you or if your
employer copies it to you, your certificate of birth whether
you get it from your local government registrar or your
school, it is the same. So all the relevant documents such as
letters of awards and intent, variations, soil testing
results, where they came from were essentially the same. More
over, the experts in their inherent knowledge, were in a
position to determine the veracity of those documents or
refuse them. But they came to the conclusion that there was
only N2.8 billion variation. So it was an investigation going
into its 10th month and all documents requested were given.
Even reading the report itself, you would see the issue of
1999 to 2003 was an after thought. It was in the process of
looking for this N50 billion and now finding that 2003 till
now would not account for the N50 billion.
Meaning there was nothing done between 1999 to 2003…
No.Never. Never. Never. The issue of 1999 to 2003 was
an after thought I am not aware of it. Okay if you asked for
1999 and 2003, why start from 2003? The investigation and even
the letters written, as well as the petitions, were from 2003
till now, that is why it centred on Marlum. If they had asked
for 1999 documents, they would have been provided. And
that was where the investigation would have started. And if
you are talking of 1999 when EFCC was not there, it is subject
to judicial interpretation as to whether it could look at
documents preceding its arrival. So to the best of my
knowledge, 1999 to 2003 only arose as a result of the
investigation’s findings and when you read the report, it says
it was in the process of looking for this $400 million
that they now felt that the N2.8 billion overpricing could not
account for it and probably 1999 to 2003-Strabag. What was the
total government income for 1999 to 2003? What was the total
contract value? It was at a time when allocations came in
trickles of N100 million a month, later N500 million,
then subject to further verification, it came to about N30
billion. N30 billion to pay salaries to teachers and civil
servants, subventions to parastatals, state university, IMT
etc
N30 billion in one year…?
Total for four years.
What about the total for seven years…
Bulk pack N60 billion plus and minus.
But there is a tabulation that indicates total revenue
accruing till date to the state government came to N117
billion…
No, this amount also includes allocations made to local
governments and of course you remember when we came into
office, these local governments then were 17 but the number
later expanded.
On EFCCís report that monies accruing from VAT meant
for local governments were issued on open cheques from where
considerable and illegal deductions were made and the
beneficiaries were the gang of three including the governor,
his special adviser and local government affairs boss…
I did not read this in the report, from where is this
coming?
It was there…
Okay, we will address it whether it was in the report
or not. Do not forget whom you are discussing with. My name is
Chimaroke Nnamani. I am a specialist obstetrician and
gynaecologist. I am a sub specialist in maternal and foetal
medicine. I have post-doctoral qualifications. I was involved
in academia and practice in America. I had the opportunity to
acquire some of the best skills in foetal medicine and surgery
that any human being can acquire. I had no business coming
back to Nigeria if I were not interested coming back home to
help my people and contribute in the process of change and
continuity. What you have on the ground in Enugu State, could
it be the product of a man who goes collecting N500,000,00 or
thereabout from local government chairmen. Is this his kind of
vision, is this the kind of man that you are looking at?
Are you looking at a man who would leave the state capital at
the end of every month, go to local government chairmen
and be collecting money? It does not arise. It means you don’t
know whom you are talking to. There is no way…, it is
impossible that I can ever subject myself to collecting money
from any body because I don’t need it. The issue of being paid
by cheque is news to me, it is news to me. As governor, how do
I know whether any one is being paid cheque or cash unless it
is brought to my attention? And they asked them and they said
it was a process that was in place, that they were having
difficulties sending it to their banks and that most of the
time as the money is coming, people are already lined up
waiting to be paid. They talked about armed robbery and all
sorts of things. I was sitting here in Enugu, I never knew. It
came as news to me and I felt this was an administrative
lapse. And just when the investigation was a week old, it was
stopped immediately. Enugu State, is about the only state in
this country which publishes its local governments
dusbursements monthly.
It’s an insult and highly uncharitable to suggest that I
would go and collect bits and pieces of money-N500, 000,
N200,000 or 300,000.00 every month. What do I do with the
money? I will even give them because even if they were to
misappropriate it, it would still be within the system. And
this does not imply that I am promoting corruption.
But it does not happen, not in Enugu State. If I have to
collect this kind of payments, why would I have to spend N14
billion building a university, why would I spend N6 billion
building a teaching hospital or rather why would government
spend N3 billion for a new judiciary headquarters?
Have you ever asked yourself, this governor that is worth
S400 million has no house in America even though he spent all
those years in America, has no money there. Do you
realize that as governor he left this country may be four
times? Does it sound like the story of someone who has $400
million?
It is not proper to promote sacrifice but I have paid my
dues for Nigeria. It is not proper for someone to promote
sacrifice but I have sacrificed for my people. And I
thank God. Do you realize that no man can change it? I
am blessed and very lucky because there is nothing on earth
that will make anyone say the university is not there, the
judiciary is not there, teaching hospital, tunnel, the roads.
Whenever you write the history of Enugu, I am going to be
somewhere there. Wherever you go in Enugu State, I am there
looking at you. Have you realised that? So God has blessed me.
If you are going to look for $400 million, go to America and
the United Kingdom, the big mansions, the pent houses, the
private jets, the first class travels, the platinum and gold
cards, the golf courses, these are were to look for the money.
And if the money is not in these places, it means it does not
exist.
If her sister is aware she is the subject of an enquiry…
My sister is not the subject of any enquiry but a
company where she has shareholdings is the subject of enquiry
and she is aware of this.
When she is coming to clear her name…
There is no name to clear.
But EFCC says she is on the run…
No, EFCC did analysis of Rainbownet through confirmed
shareholdings. The EFCC did an analysis of Enugu State
government and could not trace any money from Enugu State to
Rainbownet. Rainbownet is not a contractor to Enugu State
government. In so far as you have cleared Enugu State
government, you have also cleared other parties by inference.
She has shareholdings in Rainbownet, which has a substantive
chairman and chief executive. An Nnamani cannot abscond from
Nigeria, it’s an insult. Look at me am an Nnamani, go check. I
have shareholdings in Nigeria. That’s why I came back. I came
back to Nigeria, no
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