Delta State Governorship aspirant under Peoples Democratic Party Rt. Hon. Victor O. Ochei has dismissed as mischievous and misleading, allegations that he abandoned the Delta State Independent Power Project (IPP), neither was the contract awarded to him as an individual which his detractors have been using to tarnish his name.
Ochei who is Speaker Emeritus of Delta State House of Assembly told news men in Asaba, Delta State capital, “the Delta State IPP project at Ogharaeki contrary to insinuations that it has been abandoned, has not.”
Said Ochei, “I don’t have any interest in Davnotch Nigeria limited any more, because before I went into politics, I divested my interest from the company and I have no direct or remote control over the activities of the company.”
According to Hon. Ochei, “before I left the company, I knew that it had the competence and it met the technical requirements to handle the IPP project.” But the former speaker said “the person of Victor Ochei and Davnotch Nigeria Limited as two distinct legal entities that can sue or be sued in its corporate activities, but some people have found it convenient to lump Victor Ochei and Davnotch together because they want to politicise the corporate operations of the company.”
“When Davnotch bided for the IPP power project, it provided evidence that its technical partner is Roll Royce of UK, the former Governor Chief James Ibori visited the company’s corporate head office in London to ascertain its technical competence, before the company was awarded the contract.”
He said “the company offered to build new power turbine and it bided to provide power at the rate of less than $1million per mega watts, but the current rate of electricity supply is $1.85million per mega watts.”
He said the administration of the former Governor was convinced on the bid of Davnotch before it awarded the contract of such a major project to a local company.
According to Hon. Ochei, “Davnotch is still a thriving corporate entity and anybody who has any issue concerning the IPP project should approach them directly, the project is still on-going and the turbines have started arriving but some people who felt that the contract money was paid to me are scared that I will use the money to fight them, this is a gross misrepresentation.”
He said “If the IPP project is endangered, Delta State would have taken up Davnotch, but nothing of such nature has happened and the company is still doing its business and people can direct their enquiries to the management of the company rather than using it to tarnish my well earned public image and reputation.”
