Chief Rochas Okorocha,ex-Governor of Imo State
Members of Orluzurumee Youth Assembly (OYA), the apex socio-cultural youth group of Orlu zone has pleaded with former Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha who represents them in the senate to immediately return 5% of money allegedly stole from Imo treasury, to cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the people of Imo State.
This latest resolution is contained in a press release signed by Comrade Galore Ozokwere, the BoT Spokesperson of OYA with the caption, “Covid-19; Okorocha should urgently return some of the funds he allegedly looted from Imo treasury to cushion the effects of the lockdown”.
Continuing, the Orlu youths expressed the opinion that “Imo people cannot starve to death indoors while the some persons stole and stashed our billions of Naira walk the streets alive and boldly”.
The release which drew the people’s attention to the unimaginable revelations emanating from the testimonies of former Okorocha’s aides who sought to exonerate themselves from the blames.
The release further stated that, “Coronavirus has plunged the entire world into the biggest humanitarian crisis ever. Governments around the world have therefore adopted measures to halt the spread of the disease. And because the most effective measure remains social distancing, economic activities have been shut down and grounded almost globally, and the ordinary people are left at the mercy of hunger, save for some decent climes where governments and compassionate philanthropists have intervened to cushion the effects by distributing foodstuffs and cash to their people.
In Imo State, the lockdown as ordered by the Government has been yielding the desired result, given that presently, Imo has not recorded any confirmed case of Covid-19.
But there is another side to it. The people cannot be allowed to die of starvation as every economic activity in the State has been halted. It is in view of this that we request the former governor of Imo State, Chief Rochas Okorocha, to refund to the people at least five percent of his entire loots from the State for eight years. We have absolutely no doubt that just a mere five percent of Okorocha’s loots can pay each resident of Imo State one million Naira.
We have followed those bizarre and startling revelations of the judicial probe panel which has unearthed horrendous financial malfeasances, improprieties and sleaze as perpetrated by Chief Okorocha to the tune of hundreds of billions of Naira. We know of the disappearance of the bailout funds. We know of the diversion of the Paris Club Refunds. We know of the ecological funds that were unaccounted for.
We know of the over four hundred billion Naira of local government funds even when Chief Okorocha never had a properly constituted functional local government system for eight years. We know of the almost thirty-five billion, being the illegally deducted and diverted portion of Imo IGR. We know of the one hundred and five billion ISOPADEC funds. We know of the FAAC allocations which increased by sixty percent in eight years even when Chief Okorocha slashed the salaries of workers by forty percent during same period. Presently, there is a report of N39.6 billion paid in full to Okorocha’s eloped proxy contractor and the N3.3 billion IMSUBEB sourced funds for rehabilitation of Imo primary school which Okorocha outrightly stole or embezzled. Testimonies of these fraud were given in public glare by men and women who assisted Okorocha to loot Imo State blind and dry. It is now that the public leaving office. The magnitude of the monumental fraud that attended his eight years rescue mission administration.
Now Imo people are locked up indoors; they are hungry and are living in fear and trepidation as a result of Coronavirus. Now commercial activities have evaporated. Imo people must eat to live, but they must work to eat. Now that no work can be done anymore, Chief Okorocha should, for the sake of humanity, return part of his outrageous loots to save Imo people from death, instead of stockpiling the money for his 2023 presidential ambition”.
It was not ascertained at press time whether Orlu youths have delivered the demand directly to their senator, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
