Okorocha dares ICPC on bailout diversion allegation

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has challenged the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission to publish the details of its findings on the disbursement of the bailout funds the state received from the Federal Government.

A statement credited to one Mustapha Hussain on behalf of the ICPC had accused the Imo State Government of diverting the bailout funds which was specifically meant for workers’ salaries.

But a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, insisted that the bailout funds was used for the payment of salaries, dismissing the issue of diversion.

The governor rather accused the ICPC of being economical with the truth on the matter.

He said, “The Commission did not, however, state how it arrived at the conclusion but only stated that some transfers were made into certain accounts not related to salaries and emoluments including N2bn into a government account and N2bn paid into an Imo State Project Account and N2bn transferred into a microfinance bank.

“The ICPC was right that such monies were paid into the mentioned accounts and he had expected the commission to go further to tell the public what such funds paid into those accounts were used for. The commission became stingy with facts at that point.”

He asked, “Before the bailout fund, were there no existing accounts government was using to pay salaries? While giving out the bailout funds, was there any specified account that was given that must be paid from?”

He stated that the commission never claimed that the money was paid into private accounts or that the ones paid into the government accounts were used for other reason except paying salaries.

He said, “From the mentioned government’s accounts, personnel of Imo Security Network, Imo Community Watch, Youth Must Work, Teachers, Community Government Council and Imo Civil Guards were paid all their arrears in December 2015. We stand to be contradicted on this claim.”