Imo Assembly begins probe of Rochas Okorocha

. suspends LG bosses, dissolves boards

The Imo state House of Assembly, on Monday, passed a resolution mandating the state governor, Emeka Ihedioha, to set up a panel of inquiry to probe the activities of his immediate predecessor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.

The house in a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Chinedu Offor, also suspended indefinitely all the chairmen of the 27 local government areas of the state and their councillors and asked them to hand over immediately to the directors of administration in each local council.

They also cancelled all appointments made by the immediate past governor into boards, agencies, inter-ministerial departments and agencies from March 11 to May 28, 2019, which they said  were hurriedly done to put a landmines on the path of the new administration.

In a motion sponsored by the member representing Aboh Mbaise state constituency, Mike Iheanetu, the lawmakers also asked for a review of all land allocations, land transactions as well as take inventory of all government assets, property and determine all governments assets looted and infrastructures vandalised by officials of the former administration.

The house also resolved to suspend the establishment of all tertiary institutions, as well as review all ownership structure and allocation of funds for their construction.

Among the resolutions passed by the house at the plenary were reviews of projects undertaken by the former administration, assess ongoing projects, incurred debts, value and determine which of them to be terminated, reviewed or continue.

The panel to be constituted, according to the house, will review all debts and financial obligations, determine whether they were duly incurred and whether recoveries could be made using relevant agencies.

The house also resolved to invite anti-graft agencies where criminal infractions are involved or determined.

Further in the motion to suspend the local government chairmen and their councillors, sponsored by member representing Ezinihitte state constituency, Mr. Bruno Ukoha, the lawmakers expressed regret that the chairmen neglected them by failing to appear when they were summoned by the house.

The house resolved that the chairmen and the councillors should be suspended indefinitely while investigations into the activities of the local government areas should be carried out.

The house said that the action of the house was necessitated by the fact that a lot of illegalities took place at the twilight of the immediate past administration all with a view to setting up a booby trap for the new administration.

The speaker asked the governor to adhere strictly to the resolution. Earlier some local chairmen and councillors, led by the Chairman of Association of Imo State Elected Councillors Forum, Godwin Nwankwo, had besieged the house to protest the suspension of local government chairmen and the councillors.

The protesters said that they had an inkling that the house was about to sack them. (Daily Trust)