BY: GEORGE UCHIME, OWERRI
Missing billions, State owned properties alleged to have beem looted by officials of the past administration in Imo State has become a thorny issue between officials of Ihedioha led State Government and the outgone Rochas Okorocha administration.
Jasper Ndubuaku, a former lawmaker and Chairman Task Force On Recovery of Government Assets, had told newsmen Tuesday in Owerri, that the immediate past Governor of the State, Rochas Okorocha and members of his family carted away 67 vehickes belonging to the State.
He also alleged that Okorocha’s ADC made away with five vehickes while his driver went home with one Prado Jeep.
According to him, other goods he claimed were carted away from Government House, Ministries and Parastatals include generating sets, Chairs, Kitchen utensils, cutleries all valued at N50 billion naria.
Giving further breakdown, Ndubuaku said the 27 local government Chairmen, all the 30 Commissioners and Special Advisers went away with government Property.
According to him, also taken away were functional vehicles in Government House, bullet proof cars, back up cars and outriders motorcycles, and one bullet proof vehicle said to have beem made away by the Governor’s wife.
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Ndubuaku said ” The looting spree was unprecedented. It was as if government never existed as all paraphernalia of government were carted away. Even the 150 transformers brought by Okorocha for electioneering stunt disappeared into thin air”
Reacting to the allegations, Governor Okorocha in a statement by his media adviser, Sam Onwuemedo, challenged Governor Ihedioha and his appointees to publish the list and particulars of the 67 vehicles and details of the 50 billion naria Okorocha and his wife took away.
Part of the statement reads ” And we give them 7days to do the publication or bend their heads in shame.
” We also challenge them to publish the properties the former appointees must have left with, either as a group or as individuals. The burden to publish evidence of all these claims is now on Governor Ihedioha and his appointees.
” We equally want to ask that they harmonise their claims because almost all the key appointees of the WhatsApp and Facebook government in the State have made their diverse claims on these issues, to the extent nobody knows who among them should be believed. They should harmonise their claims before publication.
“All these smear campaign against Owelle Okorocha and the wife are geared biasing the minds of Imo people against their beloved Former Governor in preparation for the possible re election. This is the fact” the statement stated.
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