Imo Assets Recovery c’ittee slams ex-Gov Okorocha, others over illegal land acquisition
Athony Iwuoma
The Imo State Government’s White Paper Implementation Committee on Lands and other Related Maters, on Tuesday, made bare its programmes and activities, as it rounds off the assignment given to it by the Governor Hope Uzodinma administration.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ town hall meeting in Owerri, the state capital, Chairman of the committee, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, disclosed that the committee discovered how ex-governor Sen. Rochas Okorocha allegedly shared the state lands among members of his family and cronies.
Some of the findings of the committee, tagged: “Promise Kept, Hope Restored”, include: 1. Public Buildings Plot P/2 Otamiri South Extention Layout ( part of public Plot 2 given to Ministry of Women Affairs for the establishment of Skills Acquisition Centre for women), Plot P/5 Naze Residential layout( initially part of Primary Education Commission) were illegally converted to private use by Sen. Rochas Okorocha and given to his wife for her ALL- IN STORE along Aba road.
2. Magistrates Quarters, Co-operative office, and Girls Guide office all along Orlu road, Owerri, were illegally converted to private use by Sen. Rochas Okorocha and is unlawfully being used as Market Square and Kilimanjaro etc.
3. IBC Quarters at Orji and the public road leading up to it were illegally converted to private use by Sen. Rochas Okorocha and now houses Rochas Foundation College.
4. Legislative Aides/Staff Quarters opposite Concorde Hotel was illegally converted to private use by Sen. Rochas Okorocha and is now unlawfully being used as Heroes Apartments Residential Estate.
5. Almost the entire Area ‘P’ , the proposed new Government House was illegally converted to private use by Sen Rochas Okorocha and is now in the hands of his various family members, inlaws and friends.
5. Ministry of Works yard along Okigwe road, Owerri is now an estate of private apartments known as Diaspora Village while all the equipment and the engineering laboratories installed there were carted away by Sen. Rochas Okorocha and his cronies.
6. Part of Deputy Governor’s Lodge and Government Office building at Orlu road were converted to Chief Rochas Okorocha’s Willowood Hotel.
7. Plot 75A, Housing Area “Old D” ( Speakers Residence) was demolished and re-allocated to Chief Emma Ugorji who now uses it privately.
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8. Eastern Palm University, Ogboko was converted to personal use by Chief Rochas Okorocha.
Consequently, “The Committee notifies all those who have any of their properties or equipments on any of the listed Government areas to vacate them on or before mid of December 2021,” adding that by the said date hereafter, Government the “Committee will recover the land for Government and the good people of Imo State.”
It will be recalled that following wide outcry over alleged misappropriation of the state lands, Governor Hope Uzodinma set up the committee, promising that government lands unlawfully taken by individuals during the administration of former Governor Okorocha would be recovered and returned to their original owners or purposes.
Okorocha had alleged witchhunt, an allegation that has not moved the government or people of the state.
