As if waiting for the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to dissolve the State Executive Council before they pounce, the dreaded crime fighting Body, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC stormed Imo State once again this week to whisk away officials of the State Government.
EFCC Agents, on Tuesday morning stormed the premises of the Commissioners Quarters, located at Concorde Avenue Owerri, and arrested the immediate past Commissioner for Local Government, Chief Jerry Okolie.
Trumpeta learnt that the strange visitors encountered some resistance from security personnel guarding the Quarters, but were allowed to carry on with their assignment when they “flashed” their identity cards.
Source told Trumpeta that Okolie who was whisked away to Abuja, had remained on the wanted list of EFCC for months now but have been shielded from arrest by the Government knowing the amount of financial documents of Imo LGAs under custody.
Okolie’s arrest was said to be in connection with a petition before the Crime Body, investigating how funds meant for Imo State Local Governments were spent.
This Newspaper learnt that Billions of Naira sent to Imo State LGAs cannot be accounted for as what is on ground as infrastructure cannot commensurate with the stupendous Billions pouring into the LGAs from Abuja.
Okolie, it was learnt, has remained a recurring decimal at EFCC investigations concerning Imo state, because each group of invitees mentioned his name as the jig saw puzzle that can unlock the mystery of the alleged missing funds in the LGAs since he oversees the JAAC meetings in the state, and should know the details of where and how the Billions of Naira were shared among the twenty seven LGAs in the state.
Sources said that Okolie did not embezzle a kobo, only that he was the hand used to share Imo LGA funds by higher forces that have now abandoned him to face EFCC debacle.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that disappointed EFCC Agents in the state have also swooped on Director of Accounts and General Services DAGs and two Treasures of LGAs, who were ambushed on the road through the registration number of their vehicles.
The Crime Agents were disappointed, when there invasion of the Commissioners Quarters alerted other past Commissioners who have since gone under ground.
DAGs, and Treasurers have all deserted their offices in the LGAs for fear of arrest. Those who are in town are holed up in hotels, and have abandoned their vehicles.
It would be recalled that the DAGs and Treasurers have been under duress to sign some documents, which some of them have refused to comply with after several meetings with the now nabbed Jerry Okolie.
Okorocha’s Aides, including the Accountant-General, Chief George Eche, former Commissioner for Finance, Deacon Chike Okafor, and others have become frequent visitors at EFCC office in Abuja, following various petitions against the Okorocha administration over mismanagement of Local Government Funds running into Billions of Naira.
