MORE TROUBLE FOR OKOROCHA AS FG STOPS BILLION NAIRA PARIS REFUND TO IMO

 

The troubles bedeviling Imo State governor at the moment has added more feathers with Federal Government cutting off money inflow into the coffers of the state.

In the latest onslaught against the Imo State governor who appears yet to overcome the trauma associated with the outcome of the submission of names of APC candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for 2019 election, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed has announced that Imo state is among the five states that would not receive the last tranche of Paris Club Refund.

She made this known during a briefing with State House Correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, last week.

Apart from Imo the other states missing out comprise Benue, Rivers, Osun and Akwa Ibom. According to Ahmed, the affected states would not receive the fund until they meet all conditionality set by the Federal Government. The refunds due to the states amount to $2.7 billion (N972 billion).

The Federal Government, last month, ordered the recall of Paris Club Refunds released to the affected five states.

The recall of the funds was done directly from the accounts of the states.

It would be recalled that Imo state had been a beneficiary of the Paris Refund. However, controversies trailed its receipt with accusations about how it was managed flying around.

The development has compounded the woes of the governor who had the names of some of his followers not included in the final list APC submitted to INEC as candidates of the party for next election