Immediate past governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, is demanding an apology from the governor, Emeka Ihedioha; the Commissioner for Justice, Ndukwe Nnawuchi (SAN); and the chairman, Recovery of Moveable Assets, Jasper Ndubuaku, for alleging that he carted away state government’s property worth over N50 billion and incurred garnishee debts of N20 billion.
The senator representing Imo West, in a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser (Media), Sam Onwuemeodo, said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor had failed to publish details of the items and debts, despite his demands.Meanwhile, Ihedioha has called the All Progressives Congress (APC) senator’s bluff over the demand for apology, insisting that there were no allegations.
The governor disclosed that the attorney-general and commissioner for justice had said the state government established the garnishee debt in that region.Maintaining that he would not apologise, the governor advised his predecessor to take any line of action he wished. Ihedioha, through his Special Assistant (Research), Ogubundu Nwadike, said: “It has been established by the attorney general and commissioner for justice of the garnishee. It is not gossip. His Excellency has been reacting.
Okorocha’s statement signed by his aide read: “The PDP government in the state had, through the chairman of its committee on recovery of public properties, Mr. Jasper Ndubuaku, told the world at a press conference that the former governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, and wife, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, had taken away 67 vehicles and N50 billion.
“The same day, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ndukwe Nnawuchi, also told the media that the former governor had incurred N20 billion garnishee orders which has now fallen on the shoulder of the government on seat at the moment.“We challenged Ndubuaku to publish the particulars of the 67 vehicles and details of the N50 billion Okorocha and the wife made away with. And we gave them seven days to do that.
“We also challenged the attorney-general to make the particulars of the cases that occasioned the garnishee orders, for Nigerians to see whether it was Okorocha’s administration that attracted them or the PDP governments in the state from 1999 to 2011.“It is unfortunate that till now or more than two weeks after, the elements concerned have refused or failed to show Nigerians cause to believe them with regard to their claims. We cannot keep quiet in the face of such bogus allegations, especially when the PDP government in the state now has shown unbridled penchant for blackmail, propaganda and lies.”
