Okorocha withdrew N17bn from banks in three days, Imo PDP alleges

The Imo State chapter of the

Peoples Democratic Party has

accused Governor Rochas

Okorocha of withdrawing N17bn

from four banks in three days

and converting government

property to personal use.

The PDP alleged that between

Tuesday, March 12, 2019 and

Thursday, March 14, 2019,

Okorocha made withdrawals

from Access Bank, Zenith Bank,

Unity Bank and Skye Bank

(Polaris) amounting to over

N17bn.

The party said, “In the last two

days alone, Governor Okorocha

and his cronies transferred

ownership and re-registered

more than 150 government

vehicles to individuals.

Government property including

furniture and electronics in

Government House, Owerri, are

being moved out to Ogboko,

Ideato South, the governor’s

country home.

“About 300 uninstalled

transformers have been moved

to the governor’s home in

Ogboko.”

It further alleged that there was

an ongoing mass employment

and back-dating of employment

with a view to creating problems

for the incoming government.

“We are also aware of the

rampant issuance of Certificates

of Occupancy to family members

and friends of the Okorocha

family”, the party said.

According to the party, those

involved in the act do so at their

own peril.

Reacting to the allegation,

Okorocha, through his Chief

Press Secretary, Sam

Onwuemeodo, urged the public

to ignore what he termed the

posturing of the incoming PDP

government, saying the party

lacked the right to harass the

current government and

financial institutions until they

were sworn in.

He said, “There is a government

in place and until May 29, 2019,

that government should continue

to work in the interest of the

state and her people and also

continue to carry out

programmes and policies for the

same purpose, until its tenure

ends. To begin to harass or give

directives to financial

institutions in the state is an act

of hostility and they should know

that.”

“The financial institutions in the

state should disregard such

directive and continue to do the

right thing and take the right

action since the best they can do

is to confront the outgoing

government on any financial

transaction they have

reservations about when they

take over.’’