Broken down into two, the contracts awarded in 2019 were for the renovation of Oghara Teaching Hospital, for N5billion, awarded to Ethel Okowa through a front company and the building of a N3.7billion Mother and Child Hospital awarded to his aides; Chuks Agbamo, Ifeanyi Eboigbe and Raymond Ngbakor.
Awarded without tenders, sources said one Kester Ifedi is the lead consultant.
Sources told pointblanknews.com that Okowa got the leadership of the Delta State Assembly to make an urgent appropriation of the funds for the hospitals.
According to sources, while the Mother and Child Hospital project was presented to the Assembly members as a new project, it is actually an expansion and renovation of the Owa Alero General Hospital which upon completion would be renamed.
A source in Asaba, the Delta State Capital who is conversant with the deal but prefers to speak anonymously, said, “he forcefully acquired peoples land, destroyed their houses in Owa Alero without compensation.
“He is also building a Technical School in the same Owa Alero using one Architect Imafidon who is a relation to the First lady and the amount involved have been shrouded in secrecy,” the source told pointblanknews.com.
Sources also told pointblanknews.com that the attempt by the Delta State Government to forcefully take over a land belonging to Efanimjor and Sons Nigeria Limited has already attracted litigations as the owners have contacted D.D Dodo, SAN, to challenge the state in court.
Recall that Ethel, also known as Ivana, had alongside the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG), Festus Ovie Agas, Commissioner for Special Duties, Government House, Asaba, Henry Sakpra, a former Zenith Bank manager, Osadebe Osakwe, and others have been indicted in a N13.6 billion fraud scandal related to a new secretariat complex being built by the state.
the governor awarded the contract for the new central secretariat complex to North China Construction Company Nigeria Limited (NCCG) which allegedly has the governor’s sister, Ivana Shenton and former Zenith Bank manager, Osadebe Osakwe as ‘frontiers.’