The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it froze N5bn funds belonging to
the Imo State Government because Governor Rochas Okorocha was spending too much
money in a suspicious manner during the general elections.
The EFCC further stated that N8bn Paris Club loan refunded to the state for the
payment of salaries was mismanaged by Okorocha.
The EFCC’s Zonal Head for South-East, Usman Imam, said this during a chat with
journalists.
Imam said their timely intervention saved the state over N5bn that would have
been deployed in vote buying by the Okorocha’s administration during the last
elections.
The EFCC director said about N8bn from the Paris Club Refund bailout meant for
payment of workers’ salaries was kept by the government, only to begin spending
it frivolously on the eve of the elections.
He said, “About N7.9bn is what had been blocked, although with pressure,
subsequently, about N2.5bn was released for salaries. On the whole, we have
over N5bn of those funds blocked; we are following up to see what actually
happened.
“Honestly, what we discovered was that within two days, N700m was withdrawn in
cash; N200m on the first day and N500m on the second day and all these monies
were disbursed in a manner that was honestly unpalatable.
“Distribution to school teachers; I don’t know, schools that you were not
funding and you woke up on the eve of the election and withdrew N500m cash and
start distributing N1000 each or so to teachers. Whatever that means, I don’t
know.
“When we came in, we were able to save about seventy something million of the
funds that we discovered were not disbursed, we also blocked it. People are
still answering questions as to who asked them to move those monies, monies
that were blocked at the banks.”
Imam said it was unfortunate the funds in question were meant for the payment
of salaries and pensions which remained unpaid.
He said hopefully when Emeka Ihedioha resumes office, the funds would be put to
better use.
Imam added, “The sad story about this was that these monies were the
intervention funds; the bailout funds that the Federal Government released to
states to pay salaries when they were having problems paying salaries.
“They didn’t utilise that money to pay the salaries; they warehoused it and
kept it until the election period, they started attempting to draw down the
money. Whatever happens, we have saved over N5bn of that money, as we talk, two
weeks to handover. Probably, the next government would have that money to use
it better. There are a lot of other general investigations going on in
Imo right now.”
The EFCC had arrested the Accountant-General of Imo State, Uzoho Casmir, for
allegedly helping Okorocha, to launder N1.05bn for the governorship and
assembly elections.
Okorocha, who is a member of the All Progressives Congress, supported his
son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, of the Action Alliance against the governorship
candidate of the APC, Senator Hope Uzodinma.
EFCC froze N5bn Imo funds because Okorocha was spending too much during elections

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