A group under the aegis of Sincere Concerned Organization Inc. has issued a–one month ultimatum to the governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma to either ensure that a former Governor of the State, Senator Rochas Okorocha rots in jail or recover looted Imo assets.
The group recalled that the short-lived administration of Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha had set up a Commission of Inquiry to probe the administration of his predecessor, Senator Rochas Okorocha following outcries by Imo people, and however, expressed worry over the failure of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s administration to fully implement the recommendation of the White Paper, especially in the recovery of the humongous amount of money looted by Okorocha.
At a World Press Conference, at the new NUJ Secretariat, New Owerri, Wednesday, Destiny Nzenwa who read the communique on behalf of the Director General of the group, Mrs Foluke Olabimbe Lemechi, said, “by now Okorocha ought to be behind bars if he is obdurate concerning the refund of assets and money he stole from Imo people.”
The communique in full:
WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE BY SINCERE CONCERNED ORGANIZATION INC, TO DEMAND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WHITE PAPER ON THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON CONTRACT AWARDS AND LOOTING OF IMO ASSETS
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, Gov 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 aware that the Justice Iheka panel on award of contracts specifically ordered that Owelle Rochas Okorocha should refund far above One Hundred and Thirty Billion Naira, (N130B,) 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.
Gentlemen of the Press, Imo people were ecstatic when the current administration started implementation of the White Paper with the recovery of the multi billion Naira K O Mbadiwe University at Ogboko which Rochas Okorocha had brazenly appropriated. The so called Shell camp Land measuring many hectares at works layout has been recovered. But we are aware that several assets including an amount far above N130b are still in the hands of Okorocha.
That exactly is why we are here today. And that explains our sadness and frustration. We are here to express our displeasure with the Government for its failure to fully implement the recommendation of the White Paper, especially in the recovery of the humongous amount of money looted by Okorocha. By now Okorocha ought to be behind bars if he is obdurate concerning the refund of assets and money he stole from Imo people.
But because he is still in possession of that ill gotten loot, Okorocha is now plotting to buy his way to power through a proxy. Because Government is foot dragging, Okorocha now has the effrontery to spit on the faces of Imo people, especially those who have been impoverished by his rapacious tyranny. His audacity in the face of this mindless looting of our shared patrimony rankles, and that is why we are angry with what is happening.
Is it that Rochas Okorocha is untouchable or that the arms of the law are too short to reach and seize him? If the EFCC is playing hide and seek with him, can’t he be taken to court directly based on the white paper?
While we have refrained from taking the law into our hands, waiting for the government and the judiciary to bring Rochas Okorocha to justice, we wish to inform Nigerians that our patience is running thin each passing day. We don’t want the victims of Okorocha’s brigandage and open robbery to die before the emperor is brought to justice. We don’t want to wait until Okorocha succeeds in installing a stooge as governor to continue the looting spree before he is stopped.
Consequently, we are giving the Government of His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodimma a one month ultimatum to take immediate steps to implement fully the white paper on recovery of stolen property , especially the more than N130b being illegally held by Okorocha.
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 Public Office holders would not think that it is a norm to steal from the public purse and go scot free.
Thank you very much for your attention
Signed
Mrs Foluke Olabimbe Lemechi
Director General