Immediate past governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has been accused by the Imo State Government Whitepaper Implementation Committee on Lands and other Related Matters appropriating and partitioning state assets to members of his family and friends.
The Chairman of the Committee, Professor Ukachukwu Awuzie, made the accusation on Tuesday at the stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Owerri, where he presented a report on the committee’s activities.
The committee, inaugurated in September by Governor Hope Uzodinma, said government lands illegally taken over by individuals during Okorocha’s administration have been recovered and restored to their original owners or purposes.
The committee stated that lands at the Government Station Layout, Orlu, were converted by Okorocha, his family members, in-laws and friends. They include Okechukwu Okorocha, the former governor’s brother; Dr. Lawrence Eburuoh, Okorocha’s Commissioner of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning; Ichie Best Mbanaso, former Mayor of Orlu; and Maxwell Odunze, former representative of Orlu Local Government Area in the state legislature.
The committee also pointed out that Treasury House, Magistrate’s Quarters Corper’s Lodge, New Zonal Land Office (formerly Junior Staff Quarters and Ministry of Works Service Bay), Old Zonal Land Office, Ministry of Finances quarters, Ministry of Utilities quarters, Senior Civil Service Quarters, Zonal Lands Office, Ministry of Works quarters, Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources office and quarters, Orlu LGA Chairman’s quarters and Area Engineers quarters, Orlu Zonal Veterinary Clinic-all in Orlu- were illegally parceled out by Okorocha and are now in the hands of his various family members, in-laws and friends.
It also disclosed that those who petitioned and have their lands returned will havetheir names will be published in some state-owned papers
The Committee warned individuals with properties or equipment on any of the listed government areas to vacate them on or before mid of December 2021.
The chairman of the committee declared that all the areas belonging to Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education and Imo State University are to be to the institutions.
”These areas are clearly spelt out in both the Whitepaper and on the Owerri Twin City Master Plan. Failure to do this on or before mid-December 2021 would attract actions from the Committee,” said Awuzie.
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