By Okey Alozie
With few days left for the 8th Assembly to exhaust legislative exercise, the members of the Imo State House of Assembly have asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the administration of immediate past governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
In their plenary sitting on Monday under the leadership of Rt Hon Chinedu Offor, the members said that the investigation into how Okorocha managed affairs of the state, especially money accruable to the government has become necessary for the EFCC to undertake.
What further irked the House members to ask the anti-graft agencies to come into the state was the revelation that Imo State has a huge debt profile and the governor may have borrowed from banks despite initial denials from his end.
The lawmakers further berated their former speaker, Rt Hon Acho Ihim for mismanagement of affairs of the Assembly, adding that his name be withdrawn from the list of lawmakers who have been incharge of the Assembly.
After removing all titles or honours he had earned in the past, the lawmakers stated that his name be expunged on the list adding that Ihim will be charged for impersonation if he goes further to claim the position of a former speaker.
According to the lawmakers, he abandoned his duties and acted more like a subordinate to Okorocha as SA liaison.
In the same vein, the lawmakers cancelled all last minute appointments of board and parastatals chairmen and members by asking that a Judicial panel of inquiry be set up to look into it.
Hon Mike Iheanetu who presented the motion raised eyebrows on the mismanagement of Imo State fund by the immediate past administration led by Owelle Rochas Okorocha, adding the he used the money meant for state to handle federal government institutions like Hon Kennedy Ibe who supported Mike Iheanetu stated that government policies from 2011 uptill the last day of Owelle Rochas Okorocha were harsh to people “many things went wrong and needed to be corrected” he said.
Speaking further, he submitted that Imolites are crying of bad leadership that refused to pay pensioners and put our roads in good condition. He also revealed that public lands were coverted to private use coupled with familiocracy which was the order of the day in Rescue Mission administration. Other members who spoke supported the motion and demanded that all land allocations be revoked, appointments and policies made by Okorocha from March 2019 be cancelled.
They also agree that EFCC be invited to probe Okorocha’s tenure.
