Gerald Okorocha, brother of former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, has been accused of flouting a government White Paper that revoked illegal shop allocations at Relief Market Plaza, Owerri.
The allegation was made by Dr. Raymond Opara, a businessman from Owerri West LGA, who claimed rightful ownership of Shops B2 and B3, allocated to him by Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration.
Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, Dr. Opara alleged that the Imo State government discovered, through a verification exercise, that several shops at Relief Market were illegally occupied by associates of the former governor, including members of his family.
According to him, in April 2014, Afanik Global Nigeria Limited, allegedly fronting for Gerald Okorocha, applied for the shops but failed to complete payment within the required timeframe, resulting in forfeiture of the allocation.
He referenced a government White Paper issued on February 17, 2021, which gave indebted shop owners at Relief Market and Egbeada International Market seven days to settle their debts or face revocation of their allocations.
Following the revocation, Opara claimed he legally purchased Shops B2 and B3, receiving valid allocation papers before any purported reallocation to Gerald Okorocha.
“In 2020, when His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodimma assumed office, he uncovered widespread fraud in the allocation of shops at Relief Market Plaza involving family members of former Governor Rochas Okorocha.
“A verification exercise was conducted, and shops illegally acquired were advertised for sale. In line with that, Shops B2 and B3 were allocated to me,” Opara stated.
Opara alleged that despite his valid allocation documents, Gerald Okorocha forcefully took possession of the shops and is currently occupying them illegally.
He accused Gerald of parading questionable allocation papers dated March 2021, while his (Opara) allocation predates this, having been issued in February 2021.
“The allocation papers being paraded by Mr. Gerald Okorocha are fraudulent. The Imo State White Paper never recognized them as rightful owners or developers, nor were they issued valid certificates of allocation,” he said
He also accused Gerald Okorocha of harassment and using self-help tactics to retain control of the shops.
“I am being harassed by Gerald with the aid of law enforcement agents.
“I call on the state government to intervene and enforce the White Paper to protect my lawful ownership of the shops” Opara concluded.
