Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Former Governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has challenged the incumbent state Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, to provide details of how he claimed he allegedly diverted the sum of N6 billion fund allocated to the state Oil Producing Area Development Commission (ISOPADEC).
Okorocha was indicted for alleged misappropriation of N6, 044, 774, 341. 37 being fund allocated to ISOPADEC in a report by a committee set up to investigate the activities of the Commission from May 2011 to May 2019, which was submitted to the governor last Wednesday.
But, Okorocha in a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, said he was never invited by the ‘Boys Oyee’ panel set up by the state government.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain explained that Ihedioha’s government had written 32 petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and 15 petitions to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) against him and his family.
Okorocha, who represents Imo West senatorial district in the Senate, noted that the “questionable panel” on ISOPADEC was a smokescreen because a serious panel would have invited him or any of the former chairmen or managing directors of the Commission under his administration for questioning or fact-finding.
He said: “The panel never did that because it was only packaged for blackmail. Part of the unwarranted wars against Okorocha was the so-called ISOPADEC report which claimed that the former governor diverted N6billion of the Commission and the panel never gave details of how it arrived at that.”
The former governor stated that in all honesty, Ihedioha should have, as usual, found his way back to the House of Representatives to continue with his areas of specialisation, which included over-sight functions and constituency projects business, “because he has shown that he does not have the needed capacity to govern a highly enlightened state like Imo.”
Okorocha noted: “His administration only exists in the internet. Go to Whatsapp, Facebook and other social media networks you will see his administration in action, but in Imo State, it is a clear case of the more you look, the less you see! The government is only known for hosting billionaires and multi-millionaires to prodigal luncheon and gala nights almost on a daily basis.
“Ihedioha should explain to the Imo people in particular what he has done with the state resources, including federal allocations, local government allocations, ISOPADEC funds, internally generated revenue, that have snowballed at the expense of the Imo people; the N48billion left behind for him by Okorocha and other funds thereto. What has he done with these monies? This government is like the old story of tortoise and the wife, and the only consolation is that Imo people never voted for Ihedioha. INEC made him a governor.”
He stressed further that Nigerians, especially Imo people, are tired of all these bogus accusations by Ihedioha on a daily basis, adding that his government should be more mature in its approach to issues especially as they concern him.
