Okorocha withdrew N17bn from banks in three days — Imo PDP

Rochas Okorocha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has alleged that Governor Rochas Okorocha withdrew N17 billion from four banks in three days.

The party, in a press conference in Owerri on Saturday, also accused him of converting government property to personal use.

The state PDP chairman, Charles Ezekwem, said Okorocha between March 12 and March 14, 2019 withdrew over N17 billion from Access Bank, Zenith Bank, Unity Bank and Skye Bank (Polaris).

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.”

The party added that it was aware of “rampant issuance of Certificates of Occupancy to family members and friends of the Okorocha family.”

In reaction, Okorocha through his spokesman, Sam Onwuemeodo, dismissed the allegations, saying that the PDP should respect the incumbent government and leave it to perform it’s duties until end of tenure.

“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,” he said.

He continued that “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.’’