Protesters besiege Imo government house, demand Okorocha’s probe

Ex-gov urges Ihedioha to publish looting claims

No fewer than 1,200 protesters yesterday besieged Government House, Owerri, demanding investigation of immediate past Governor Rochas Okorocha over alleged looting of the state’s resources amounting to N200 billion.

The protesters comprised town unions of 645 autonomous communities in Imo State, leaders and members of some socio-cultural organisations and students’ bodies, among others.

President of the Imo State Indigenous Town Unions, Emeka Diwe, who led the protesters, accused Okorocha of looting state funds and assets amounting to over N200 billion and tasked the Governor Emeka Ihedioha administration to recover all plundered state resources.

They also demanded that lands housing the Rochas Foundation College, WODDI Wellness Centre and The Reach FM, belonging to Okorocha’s wife and daughter, should be recovered without delay.

“During Okorocha’s administration, Imo went through untold financial hemorrhage, as resources were frittered away and public assets looted and converted to personal use.

“As if that was not enough, Okorocha so cruelly plunged the state into irredeemable debts amounting to over N200 billion, a debt stock that will still be paid even by 10 generations unborn,” they said. Diwe, who is, urged Governor Ihedioha to ensure that justice is done in the state to the extent that he immediately commenced a probe into the activities of Okorocha and his cronies while in government.

But Okorocha, through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, has consistently demanded that the Ihedioha administration should publish details of its claims, which holds Okorocha culpable.

Responding, Ihedioha restated that his administration would adopt lawful measures to address the many issues bothering on activities of the immediate past government in the state. He advised the protesters to also channel their grievances and petitions to appropriate security agencies in the state, adding that his government was committed to ensuring general welfare of the people.