By Stevenie Michaels
The stage is set for the Imo State Government to recover from the former Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, alleged property he acquired while in office.
Also to suffer same fate are the former governor’s family members and associates who exploited the time they were in office to have access to government property.
Moments Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha came into power he set up several panels of inquiries to look at what Uzodinma did in the past. His successor, Senator Hope Uzodinma continued with the panels which turned in earth shaking revelations about the arbitrary acquisition of government property and alleged corruption sleaze during the past regime.
In fulfillment of his promise to carry out that agenda, Gov. Hope Uzodimma has set up the committee to implement the White-Paper on recovery of illegally acquired lands by previous governments.
The governor announced the committee during a state executive council meeting on Wednesday.
The Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Land Use and Other related Matters had recently concluded and submitted a White-Paper on findings over land allocation by previous governments.
However, briefing journalist after the Exco meeting, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Declan Emelumba said the governor appointed Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning as chairman of the committee.
Other members of the committee according to Emelumba are Commissioner for Housing, Commissioner for Works and the General Manager of Imo Environmental Transformation Agency (ENTRACO) and the General Manager of OCDA.
Emelumba said the committee was saddled with the responsibility to fully recover all aspects of the White-Paper.
Trumpeta learnt that the target of the implementation is Okorocha and family members who during their eight years reign was accused to have kept several lands of government in their custody.
Apart from Nov less than 40 plots one of the siblings was alleged to have captured to herself during the era of the Rescue Mission government, reports have it that only Okorocha, his wife, siblings and In-laws converted part of the New Owerri Government to private property.
This newspaper also learnt that reserved areas prohibited for building structures like the Akachi road Green Verge were also converted to private use.
The chairman of the Recovery Committee is Noble Atulegwu, the new Lands Commissioner.
