These are not the best of times, for the former governor of Imo State, and Senator representing Orlu zone, Senator Rochas Okorocha, following the court ruling, granting the Senator Hope Uzodinma administration and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, the power to foreclose on properties worth billions of naira, allegedly acquired illegally by the former governor, his family members, as well as his political associates.
But forfeiture of his properties, might not be Okorocha’ s biggest headache in months to come, as more revelations about his financial stewardship to the state continue to come to light.
Recently, while addressing the National Union of Pensioners NUP, National leadership that paid him a courtesy visit at Douglas House Owerri, Senator Hope Uzodinma revealed that Okorocha had diverted the bailout funds given to Imo State, through bureau de change operators.
The Imo State government, under Rochas Okorocha’ s watch, had received over N26billion twenty six billion naira), from the Central Bank of Nigeria, as bailout to help the government offset arrears of salaries and pensions, but the money was allegedly diverted into private pockets, with no information given as to how Okorocha used the money.
Recall that in 2016, the publisher of a local tabloids, WatchDog Newspaper, Comrade Precious Nwadike blew the whistle about the alleged disappearance of part of the bailout fund, left in the house of Okorocha’ s son in- law, Uche Nwosu.
Nwadike reported that Uche Nwosu’ s domestic staff, had stolen the money in his house. Nwosu had denied the allegation, and dragged Nwadike to court, but the case was thrown out after Nwosu could not provide evidence to counter Nwadike’ s claims.
Uzodinma’ s revelation have given more credence to Nwadike’ s claims, and has given hint of another line of probe the former governor may soon face, which could eventually land him in a prison cell, if he cannot give proper account of his financial management of Imo State, in the eight years he was governor.
Several past governors have seen the inside of a prison cell. With the way things are going, as the Imo government makes public the reports on other probes against the Okorocha administration, bordering on contracts amongst others, Okorocha gradually runs the risk of increasing the number of Nigerian governors, jailed for corrupt practices during their time in office.
