Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Former governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha, has denied withholding 67 government vehicles after leaving office as alleged by the state shairman of the Committee on Recovery of Government Property, Jasper Ndubuaku.
Senator Okorocha, who reacted through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, also denied any member of his family including his wife of being in possession of any government property or leaving office with N50 billion as alleged.
“Chairman of Committee on Recovery of Government Property, Ndubuaku claimed that the former governor of the state, Owelle Okorocha and his wife, Nneoma Nkechi left with 67 vehicles and N50 billion. They also made similar claims against appointees of the former governor and other related bodies that worked with the last administration.”
Following the claims, Okorocha has, however, challenged the state government to make public evidence of their claims or cover their faces in shame.
“We challenge Governor Ihedioha and his appointees to publish the list and particulars of these 67 vehicles and the details of the N50 billion the former governor and his wife made away with vis-à-vis other items thereto. And we give them seven days to do the publication or bend their heads downward in shame.
“We also challenge them to publish the property the former appointees must have left with, either as a group or as individuals. The burden to publish evidence of all these claims is now on Governor Ihedioha and his appointees.
“We equally want to ask that they harmonise their claims because almost all the key appointees of the WhatsApp and Face-Book government in the state have made their diverse claims on these issues, to the extent that nobody knows who among them should be believed. They should harmonise their claims before the publication,” Okorocha stated.
He further maintained that the present administration was being economical with the truth, following different figures of the vehicles and money alleged to be in his possession and former aides.
“The governor himself had made his own claim talking about cars and N70billion taken away. The Chief of Staff of the governor had claimed that the former governor left with 31 vehicles and about N40 billion. Now, the chairman of the recovery committee, has come up with the latest claim of 67 vehicles and N50 billion. The new Attorney-General, Ndukwe Nnawuchi has also added his voice by also making the claim of N20 billion against the former governor.”
In the light of the allegations, Okorocha said he sensed the present government was already campaigning for a possible rerun.
“We want to let Nigerians know that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) people in the state are doing their campaign for possible re-run because they know that Ihedioha never won that election. All the smear campaigns against Owelle Okorocha and his wife are geared towards biasing the minds of Imo people against their beloved former governor in preparation for the possible re-run. This is the fact.
“That is also the reason no day passes without their making one invalid claim or the other against the former governor. “