Former Imo Governor Senator Rochas Okorocha has accused Governor Hope Uzodimma of auctioning his personal cars and those of his aides impounded when his wife’s Royal Palm Hotel was sealed by the State Government in 2021.
Okorocha alleged that some of his personal cars and all the vehicles recovered at the hotel premises along Akachi Road, Owerri including cars and buses belonging to his aides and Rochas Foundation College respectively are being auctioned to interested buyers.
But in a swift reaction the State Government described Okorocha as “a bloody liar.’
The former Governor, in a statement by his Special Media Adviser Sam Onwuemeodo, said all the impounded properties were not taken to the Police Command headquarters or the Magistrate’s Court where the matter was being heard but to Government House where he alleged that the property were being auctioned.
“The expectation was that the Police who carried out the operation must have taken into custody. All the vehicles recovered at the scene of the attack or incident, including buses belonging to Rochas Foundation College and taken them to the Police Headquarters and not to the Government House or the cars would have been taken to the court where some of the owners of the cars recovered at the Hotel have been standing trial, especially when the vehicles may be tendered as exhibits in the course of the trial.
“Unfortunately, the vehicles were taken to the Government House and not to either the Police Headquarters or the Court where some of the owners of the Vehicles have been standing trial.
“The government has gone ahead to auction the private cars of the former Governor of the State, those of his security personnel, those of his aides, political associates , those of Rochas Foundation College and so on , who were with him on the day the attack at Royal Palm Hotel took place. In doing that , they had thrown caution to the wind. And you ask, on what ground were the vehicles auctioned?.
“ln all the cases involving Okorocha and lmo State Government, including the one decided by Justice Njemanze (rtd), which is now at the Appeal Court, the government never mentioned Okorocha’s personal cars and those of his aides, associates, his security details, Rochas Foundation College, etal , for any reason. Why auctioning his vehicles and those of others?
“Aside these vehicles, there are valuable materials and documents in some of them, including international passports and one had expected that the Police would have taken all those items or materials and documents into their custody.
“We call on the lnspector General of Police to get the Commissioner of Police in lmo on February 21, 2021 to release the vehicles he recovered at the Royal Palm Hotel on the day in question. And other serious and important materials and documents in some of the cars. The Police has a duty here and some explanations to make.
“Governor Uzodimma should be told that lmo had had military Administrators and Civilian Governors , none of them had done some of the nauseating things his government has done. None of those before him , would have auctioned vehicles recovered in the circumstance we had explained above.”
He alleged also that four of the vehicles had already been sold at N5million as part payment, adding that payment was made on Receipt No. 0141, dated 23- 6- 22 paid through one of the old generation bank.
Reacting, the State Government described Okorocha as a bloody liar.
“He is a bloody liar. The place is still being sealed. Can’t you see he is lying? The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Declan Emelumba told the Nation.
He however said that those properties seized by the government do not belong to Okorocha again.
He said: “At any case government has seized that place and it does not belong to Okorocha again. It is government property so how can government sell its own property?
“The truth of the matter is that he is raising false alarm. Police are still there so how did he manage to get the pictures he claimed he got.”
