The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC may have put more pressure on former First Lady of Imo State, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha to find out her source of income.
Nneoma’s husband and former Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha while reeling out reasons why EFCC is after the family said the anti graft agency is worried and probing how the former governor’s wife amassed enormous wealth to get number of property under investigation.
An interview Trumpeta obtained online published by a national daily, Okorocha said about the EFCC cases. “EFCC has the constitutional powers to investigate and no one can stop them from carrying out its investigation. If EFCC is investigating an issue, they don’t go and start looking for what is happening with anybody until people write petition. The Imo State government has written petitions on this matter and the EFCC is investigating. One of the allegations is that my wife built a hotel using government money and the petition says that she wants to sell the hotel immediately if EFCC does not confiscate it. That is why they got interim forfeiture order subject to when they conclude their investigation. That is what is happening in Imo State. There has been no property traced to me because I don’t have any property anywhere, I don’t have an account anywhere outside this country. I was very careful about that because I know that the political enemies are there waiting. The EFCC are asking my wife to prove how she was able to come about that. I told them this is my wife. Rochas before being governor was bigger than Rochas the governor. I don’t know how many property I can count because I can’t even remember my property in Abuja. I have been a successful businessman before this time. But they have blindfolded people not to remember Rochas of before, Rochas that ran for presidential election three times and the Rochas foundation that is building schools all over the country with over 2000 children. It cost me nothing less than N2 billion every year to run Rochas Foundation. They said my wife has to prove how she came about the hotel. Meanwhile, my wife had two hotels in Jos over 15 years ago. She has a hotel called Lamond Hotels. The Tropicana Shopping Complex near NNPC Tower belongs to my wife and by today’s value, that property is worth nothing less than N15 billion in the market. However, having been reported, EFCC has the responsibility to investigate and when they found out that it is not true, they will give her back her property. But one thing painful about that is that my wife would not have invested in Imo State. She would have built it in Abuja where there will be more income because I have the land. The only businesses in Imo State is the ones I just introduced. Why should my daughter build a school in Owerri that she is being investigated. If you talk of building a school where people can pay, it is in Abuja here. My intention was to sell 50 per scent of my property and return them to Owerri to help my people so that their economy can grow. Then the Rochas Foundation where I train poor children without parent, some of who came from the governor’s village is one of the schools under investigation. They claimed that I used government land to build Rochas Foundation Schools that provide free education to children. How has that become an offence. I have told them that if they want the Rochas Foundation school and they can run it, I am willing to give it to government. I built a PPP university in Imo State where government has shares. If you go there, about 1,320 students from Rochas Foundation across the country are all there free. I thought that I am contributing my quota to the development of my fatherland. But now, it has become an offence. If you are in my wife’s shoes, how will you feel? If care is not taken, she might shut down the hotel forever and then people will lose job. They lie a lot, saying that I bought property in Dubai. They must have sent some agents to go all over the world searching for my property. Have I committed any offence asking my children to go and invest in my state? That is the issue about the EFCC. They are simply doing their job and until they finish their job, nobody will understand. The thing is that once EFCC is on your matter, the whole nation now see you as a criminal. I don’t know how they can stop that. I hope that there will be opportunity for you to sue your accusers after investigation and you are not guilty. So far, there are three property under investigation, Rochas Foundation College, Owerri, East High College Owerri and Royal Palm Hotel, Owerri.
