State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Chinedu Offor

By Amby Uneze
The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Imo State chapter , has accused the state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha,  of not accounting  for over N57 billion earned by the Imo State Local Governments from June 2011 to June 2012 from the Federation  Account.

The association also rejected the two month’s salary offer by the state government, saying it would amount to accepting a bribe if “we agree to receive such suspicious offer from the state government.”

Imo State Government had through a text message and radio announcement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Chinedu Offor, at the weekend directed the Local Government chairmen and councillors to contact their various Local Government’s Director of Administration and General Services (DAGS) for the collection of their May 2011 and July 2012 salaries.

Part of the text message read: “His Excellency, the governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha, has approved the payment of May 2011 and July 2012 salaries of former local government chairmen and their councillors, having served out their terms of office. The affected officials should contact their various local government DAGS for collection of their entitlements by September 5th.”

But in a response to the announcement, the Chairman and Secretary of ALGON, Hon. Mrs. Ruby Emele and Chief Enyinna Onuegbu, respectively observed that the members of the Transition Committees dismissed by the Appeal Court judgement were paid salaries for July 2012.