Amby Uneze in Owerri
A group known as the Sincere Concerned Inc. (SCI) has given Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma a month ultimatum to recover all the State property allegedly converted by the former governor of the State, Senator Rochas Okorocha.
In a press briefing in Owerri, Imo State capital Wednesday, Convener of the group, Mrs. Foluke Olabimbe Lemechi also urged the State government to recover the over N130 billion allegedly siphoned by Okorocha.
According to the group, we are giving the government of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma one month ultimatum to take immediate steps to implement fully the white paper on recovery of stolen property, especially the more than N130 billion being illegally held by Okorocha.
The group said, "If after the expiration of the ultimatum, Okorocha has not returned the money or he is not in jail , we shall take all lawful steps to ensure that justice is served, so that would-be public office holders would not think that it is norm to steal from the public purse and go scot free."
"It is with a heavy heart that we address the gentlemen of the press on the State of affairs in our dear Imo State. We are saddened that those who looted the assets and money of the state are still walking free and even planning to return to power, by proxy, to finally bleed the state to death through unbridled state corruption.
"You may recall that the administration of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha set up a Commission of Inquiry to probe the administration of his predecessor, Senator Rochas Okorocha following outcries by Imo people concerning the plundering of the state, through phoney contract awards and dispossession of both public and private lands belonging to Imo people, by the Okorocha administration and his family.
"You may also recall that during the sitting of the panel, Imo people were horrified by the testimonies which revealed that the state had been raped to coma by one man and his family who had turned the state into a private estate. It is to the credit of the peaceful or do we say docile, nature of our people that some people were not stoned for the mindless looting of our patrimony.
"These Commissions had not completed their assignments when Senator Hope Uzodimma succeeded Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha as governor. It is instructive that in spite of pressures, Governor Hope Uzodimma refused to disband the panels of inquiry. He understood correctly that the inquiry was beyond him because the entire imo people wanted answers to mind boggling looting of assets of the state, including forceful conversion of public institutions like Imo broadcasting corporation into private use, the seizure of judiciary quarters and even privately owned lands.
"It is necessary to mention here that the refusal of His Excellency to disband the panel is what led to his face off with Senator Rochas Okorocha. Expectedly the report of the panel and the subsequent White Paper heavily indicted Rochas Okorocha and his family and they were ordered to return all the looted estates to Imo people.
"We are ware that the Justice Iheka panel on award of contracts specifically ordered that Rochas Okorocha should refund far above One Hundred and Thirty Billion Naira, (N130 billion)in physical cash to the state government, being the sum he siphoned to his personal coffers through phoney contracts.
"The government was also empowered to recover the assets they stole," they said.
SCI recalled that Imo people were applauded Uzodimma's administration started implementation of the White Paper with the recovery of the multi billion Naira K. O. Mbadiwe University at Ogboko, Shell Camp estate which were appropriated by the former governor.
They accused of plotting to continue to be in power through a proxy which the group rejects vehemently.
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