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Ihedioha can only account for 3.7bn spent under his watch, says PDP


Hope Uzodinma, governor of the state, had ordered a probe of N19.63bn “missing” local government funds.

The Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has said that Emeka Ihedioha, former governor of the state, has no intention to stop any probe against him.

 

Hope Uzodinma, governor of the state, had ordered a probe of N19.63bn “missing” local government funds.

 

The panel set up by Uzodinma had reviewed expenditures of the 27 local governments of Imo, querying various officers and MDAs to explain expenditures totalling N19.63bn.

But Ihedioha had approached the state high court, seeking to restrain the panel from inviting him.

 

Listed as defendants in the suit are the Imo State House of Assembly, the Speaker, and the Clerk of the House.

 

In its statement, Imo PDP said the probe covered January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2019 when Rochas Okorocha was governor.

 

The statement reads, “It is instructive to note that H.E. Rochas Okorocha was the Imo State governor from January 1, 2019 to May 28, 2019. Whereas, H.E. Rt . Hon Emeka Ihedioha was the Imo State governor from May 29, 2019 to December 31st 2019 that the Interim Audit Report covered.

 

“It should be noted that of the N19.63bn LGA expenditures in question, approximately N16bn was expended between January 1 to May 28 2019, during the administration of Rochas Okorocha. It was only the sum of approximately N3.7bn that was spent by the 27 LGAs between May 29, 2019 to December 31,2019 during the administration of Ihedioha.

 

“So, effectively it is the expenditure of N3.7bn that the LGAs during the administration of Ihedioha should explain and account for, not N19.63bn as is being claimed and bandied about everywhere, by the current Commissioner of Information acting on behalf of Governor Hope Uzodinma of APC.

 

“The remaining sum of approximately N16bn should be accounted for by the regime of former Governor Rochas Okorocha.

 

“It was therefore surprising and smelt of a kangaroo proceedings for the Imo State House of Assembly to purport to invite officials of government during Ihedioha’s period of service to come to the House of Assembly to explain the whereabouts of the so-called missing N19.63bn.

 

“Indeed, the debate of the motion to investigate the interim audit report at the House of Assembly showed extreme bias and a clear premeditated case of witch-hunt, without any pretense to impartiality and objectivity.”

 

The statement also explained why Ihedioha headed to the court, saying he is more interested in justice being done than to evade summons.

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