Two top officials of the Imo State Government have been accused of championing the diversion of N26.7 billion Federal Government’s bailout funds for the state.
In a recent report, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had accused the Governor Rochas Okorocha administration and other state governors of diverting the money meant for the payment of workers’ salaries.
Although the affected governors have refuted the ICPC report, but a group, the Network for Good Governance (NGG) has insisted that two top Imo State functionaries spearheaded the illegal diversion of the funds.
The group, in a statement made available in Owerri, the Imo State capital, alleged that the officials used the money to acquire personal property. Asserting that it has pictures to back its claims against the officials, NGG urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Com-mission (EFCC) to wade into the matter and make its findings public.
In a statement issued by NGG’s National Coordinator, Comrade Nobleiyke Edoziem, he said one of the suspects was a top aide of Governor Rochas Okorocha (name withheld) while the second is the Government House Director of Accounts, Mr. Casmir Uzoho.
When contacted on the NGG’s allegations, Uzo-ho simply said: “It’s not possible” and declined further comments. The governor’s aide linked with the incident could not be reached for his comment.
But NGG said it was prompted to name the officials following the revelation by ICPC that the chunk of the bailout funds was diverted into non-salary accounts.
According to Edoziem, the suspects are known to own over a dozen of choice property within Owerri metropolis and beyond, insisting that the EFCC needs to investigate his allegations to ascertain the source of funds for the acquisition of such property between 2011 and this year.
- Source: The AUTHORITY.
