A frontline philanthropist in Abia State and Founder of Each One Aid One Foundation, Engineer Enyinnaya Nwafor (popularly known as Nana Nwafor), has said that he is the most investigated individual in Abia State, having been invited, grilled and given a clean bill by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) across the country at various times.
Addressing a team of online journalists who paid him a courtesy visit recently at his country home, Engineer Nwafor who was responding to questions on the status of road construction contracts executed by his firm, Tunnel End Investment Company in Abia State, as well as the recent allegation that his firm received 3 (three) billion naira from Abia State government in December 2021, explained that except for the maintenance challenges on Ekwereazu road, all roads constructed by his firm in Abia State including the ones constructed over six years ago, have been standing strong till date. He explained that beyond the need for rehabilitation, it has become imperative to install access control mechanisms on Ekwereazu road which is a Trunk C road, not built for use of heavy duty trucks.
“My company has built a good number of roads within and outside Abia State. Some of the roads have been in use for over six years, including the ones built to accommodate heavy duty trucks and they still remain very solid till date. We do not compromise standards” He expressed hope that rehabilitation work would be done on the road in due time.
On the allegation of being part of the looting of Abia treasury made by one Jackson Ude through his twitter handle on December 27, 2021, particularly the one in which Mr. Ude alleged that Tunnel End Investment Company received 3 (three) billion naira from Abia State government through its First Bank and UBA Accounts, Engineer Nwafor described the allegation as false, malicious and part of the organized conspiracy targeted at injuring his integrity as well as that of his company. According to him, “It is simply wicked that someone would fabricate such malicious falsehood apparently to discredit my person and the corporate image of my company.”
“Abia State Ministry of Works has the records of their schedule of payment to construction firms, including Tunnel End. If you make your enquiries I’m sure they would provide you with necessary information about payment of contractors. We also have our own records. So I am really outraged about the way people circulate false stories against us without even bothering to ascertain the truth.”
“Initially I did not want to join issues with the said Jackson Ude. I usually leave such people to God. But my lawyers insisted that we respond, essentially because the integrity of Tunnel End Investment Company is at stake. We have since responded and even published our bank accounts for all to see. My lawyers would take appropriate action if Jackson Ude fails to comply with our demands”
“It may interest you to know that I am the most investigated individual in Abia State. I have been invited at various times by the EFCC Head Office and nearly all the Zonal Offices in the South East, South West and South-South, and at the end of their investigations, they found nothing against us. The records are there.”
Engineer Nwafor also used the opportunity to address the issue of his widely rumoured governorship aspiration in Abia State.
He said: “I have not declared on any platform that I would be contesting for the office of Abia State governor in the forthcoming 2023 elections. But if it is the will of God that I serve Abia State as Governor, then only God and Abians would make it possible. Power belongs to God. I am qualified to be Abia State governor, no doubt. But I am not desperate about it. The question is: if one aspires to be the governor, what superior values would he add to consolidate the milestones of the current administration?”
“I have taken time to profile the state of Abia economy across sectors, and based on empirical research, I have articulated practical and tested solutions applicable to vital sectors such as infrastructure development, security, healthcare delivery, education, etc. I have the capacity to lead a result-oriented and innovative change process in Abia, and if it pleases God that I emerge as the State Governor in 2023, it would be based on Divine agenda. I will never bow to any man in order for him to make me governor. I will only bow to the will of God. If Abia is truly God’s Own State, then God will show His strength in the next elections and He will never share His glory with any man. Abians must get ready to prove, in the next elections, that Abia belongs to all of us, and the voice of the people is the voice of God.”
Speaking earlier on behalf of the team, Mr. Victor Nwokocha, editor-in-chief of African Heritage Times, said that he and his colleagues who are all members of the Abia State Chapter of the Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), had come to identify with Engineer Nwafor’s legendary humanitarian services to the less privileged, the youths, widows and young entrepreneurs across the state through the Each One Aid One Foundation. Mr. Nwokocha said that they had also come on a fact-finding mission regarding the alarming tweets that had gone viral on social media platforms, alleging that Engineer Nwafor’s company was involved in looting the Abia treasury. He also requested for the support of Each One Aid One Foundation towards capacity building trainings and welfare of online media practitioners in Abia State.
Present at the brief event were editors and reporters from various online newspapers and magazines, close associates as well as top media aides to Engineer Enyinnaya Nwafor.
