The senator representing Imo West Senatorial district in the Nigerian Senate, Sen. Rochas Okorocha, says he left the Imo State Government House poorer than he was before he became governor of the state.
Sen. Okorocha, thereby, denied acquiring any property with government funds as governor.
Sen. Okorocha, who ruled Imo State for eight years as governor, said this when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
According to the former governor, people seemed to have forgotten so easily that he was a successful person before becoming governor in 2011.
READ ALSO: https://www.thexpressng.com/2021/05/17/jigawa-gov-pardons-17-inmates/
Sen. Okorocha also dared anyone to come forth with evidence that he is corrupt and mismanaged Imo State funds while in office.
Said he, “I challenge anybody to prove that I acquired any property with any government fund.
“I think people have forgotten that I was Rochas before becoming the governor of Imo State; I think they have forgotten completely.
“If anything, becoming a governor made me even poorer than what I was in the past. I don’t know whether I acquired any property here in Abuja, there is none.”
The federal lawmaker said the hotel linked to him belongs to his wife which is also a source for their Foundation.
Sen. Okorocha wondered how he could have stolen the meager monthly allocation the State receives from the Federal Government.
Speaking about his ordeal after he was called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the senator also said he was invited by the commission based on a report written by him.
“The invitation was based on a statement made by other people, but I said to them that I have not come to honour your invitation because the matter was already in court and once a matter is in court, we cannot talk about it.
“Imo state government has taken me to court on the same subject matter, and we are at the Federal High Court in Abuja. So, I told EFCC I cannot be called, so I was arrested, and I made my statement” he added.
Sen. Okorocha also said he did not see EFCC as a witch-hunting agency, but he maintained the anti-graft agency always act on a reports or petitions written on people by others.
