By Emma Amaize, Austin Ogwuda & Bulou Kosin
ASABA — SPEAKER of Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, yesterday, said he was neither summoned nor under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over a supposed N27 billion contract for the Delta State Independent Power Project, IPP, at Oghara.

Ochei, who addressed newsmen in Asaba, said the contract for the supply and installation of two Rolls Royce gas turbine generators, which was originally awarded to DavNotch Nigeria Limited at N21.7 million in June, 2009, was only reviewed to N23.2 million on grounds of improved capacity and not N27 billion as claimed by a petitioner.

He said he had divested his interest in DavNotch prior to his assumption of office as Speaker in June and that the said company had not defaulted on the contract. He added that the first gas turbine for the project will arrive August 15.

Ochei said: “There is no truth in the publication as regards the IPP contract award to DavNotch Nigeria Limited. Firstly, the award followed due process. As a matter of fact, the entire process and contract sum were clearly captured in the Delta State Government’s Due Process Journal of January-March edition, 2010.”

Ochei dismissed the allegation that DavNotch Nigeria was registered in July, 2009, a month after the award of the contract, saying, “the company was registered on July 14, 1997 and was 12 years old when it was awarded the contract in June 2009.”

According to him, “The contract duration of two years is clearly stated in the aforementioned journal. The period had not yet elapsed. It would have been wiser to wait for the period to lapse before instituting a probe of any kind. At the moment, the engineering design has progressed beyond 80 per cent”

Ochei, who showed newsmen copies of contract agreement, said the petition to EFCC was spurious and written on a forged letter head paper and fake signature of the principal partner of  Ekhator, Ekhhator and Co. Chambers, Abuja.

“The 24 months duration was due to our earlier attempt to buy an already-made turbine but finance became a constraint for Delta State Government. We were now compelled to produce two brand-new turbines. The petition is therefore, baseless and a vile attempt to drag the reputable name of Davnotch Nigeria in the mud,” he added.