There seems to be an uneasy calm in Imo state government house following the recent threat by Economic and financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to probe Governor Rochas Okorocha over alleged fraud after his tenure when he(Okorocha) will no longer enjoy immunity clause.
An insider source who doesn’t want his name in print told this reporter that both former and present top aides of Rochas Okorocha have gone into hiding to avoid the anti-graft agency from descending on them. The source acknowledged that majority of those who worked with the outgoing government were used to retire money and may be on the watch list of EFCC.
It was revealed also that already, some of the governor’s former aides have been invited to EFCC among who is the former Accountant General, Stella Udogu. The report has it that uptill last week Friday, Udogu was sighted at EFCC headquarters,Abuja, trying to sort out issues with the agency. She was accused of diversion of state allocation and mismanagement of public fund, including the N26.8 billion bailout fund meant for salaries and pension arrears.
Udogu’s financial escapade is said to have even caused the invitation of the current Accountant General of Imo State to EFCC. She is said to be the richest civil servant in Imo with so many expensive buildings in her name all over Imo State and beyond. “No wonder she took to her heels immediately she knew Okorocha and Uche Nwosu have been defeated, to try to reach out to EFCC officials to allegedly obliterate some figures”,our source stated.
Others who are reported to be on the EFCC watch list include the former Transitional Committee Chairmen who while in the office signed out a loan of over #26Billion which was not tagged to any major project except renovation of council head quarters in which not upto #100million was spent for each LGA.
With this development, some of the present commissioners are already jittery over what could be their fate, especially those involved in contract scandals and management of the bailout and paris club debt relief refunds.
The unrelenting governor who was only on Tuesday sighted with president Buhari was said to have visited the president with two requests; to intervene on the EFCC threat to quizz him as soon as he leaves office and the refusal of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him certificate of return on the grounds that he committed electoral violence leading to his declaration as winner, under duress or gun point.
Meanwhile,some of the former Transitional committee chairmen have been to EFCC to state how much was actually released to them by the governor from the controversial #900Million each, loaned to the different Local governments.
