Recently, Governor Rochas Okorocha set up some probe panels to look at the books of former Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s administration. Since then the crossfire has become more intense by the day, reports Okodili Ndidi in Owerri
Two years into Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration, just when everybody, especially the opposition, has gone to sleep after licking the wounds of the last elections, when the political scene was almost healed of the bruises caused by power shift in the state, the war drum has been sounded for another fierce battle, and the state is suddenly agog with cry of justice, spurred by vengeful anger.
The governor, who had resisted earlier calls and pressure to probe his predecessor, suddenly okayed an intensive probe of all financial dealings of the immediate past administration, with a view to putting the past governor and other indicted government officials, to trial.
Much as this move has been applauded and condemned, depending on the side of the divide the analysts belong, some questions have remained pertinent: What is the state government set to achieve with the probe? Can the government remain focused while the probe lasts? Does it have the political will to take the fight to an end? Will it not via off the rescue mission track and at the end will the state be better for it?
However, given the clamour and widespread agitation by Imo people for a probe of the Ikedi Ohakim’s administration, the state government, apparently like every other responsible institution, has little or no choice than to concede to the demands of the people and punish those that allegedly impoverished the state.
Although Ohakim and his team appeared not to be troubled by the brewing storm, The Nation’s findings revealed that political associates and close friends of the ex-governor are warming up for a possible showdown with the state government, dusting files and searching for possible loopholes in the financial dealings of the current administration that it can leverage on.
In the last two months, more than four groups, including professional bodies, have joined the call for the probe of the previous administration. While some of them hinged their agitation on the need to punish offenders and thereby entrench accountability in public service, others were merely pursuing vendetta. The situation reveals that for a long time to come, the political scene will be dominated by the politics of probe.
Already, the state government has set up three probe panels, aside from the Accounts Reconciliation Committee headed by the deputy governor, Sir Jude Agbaso, to look into the financial dealings of the previous administration.
But addressing members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) recently during a rally in the state, Ohakim told a mammoth crowd of supporters that he was not afraid of the plan by the state government to probe his tenure in office. He insisted that due process was religiously followed in all financial dealings during his tenure.
However, his claim was contradicted by the first report submitted by the Accounts Reconciliation Committee, which said that the Ohakim-led administration allegedly spent over N62 billion on ‘dubious’ transactions and non- existent projects.
The committee revealed that the same administration and the local governments received a total of N420, 215,108,265 during its tenure in addition to N18.5 billion bond proceeds out of which N5.1 billion was utilized.
The 23-page report also sighted discrepancy in N1.594 billion JAAC proceeds to the LGAs, payment of N1.1 billion to DDB under various vouchers, N110 million and N414,555,608.55 to the same company and transfer of N6.514,550,000 from Skye Bank to Zenith Bank Plc.
The report, however, noted that the only projects credited to the Ohakim-led administration, were the new governor’s office building, Governor’s Lodge Abuja, uncompleted Ahiajoku Convention Centre and the uncompleted traditional rulers’ parliament.
Also backing the call for the probe is the State House of Assembly. The Speaker, Rt. Hon Benjamin Uwajumogu, said the move will sanitise the polity and deter others from plundering state resources.
However, a media assistant to the former governor, Dr Ethelbert Okere, described the composition of the committee and its report as ridiculous. ‘In less than 24 hours after Okorocha announced the setting up of three judicial panels to probe his predecessor, he released a report indicting the same fellow he wants the panel to probe”.
He added, “It is a clear insult to the eminent jurists heading those panels. The governor was merely telling them to go and rubber stamp what he has just released. We wait and see if those respected judges will take such an insult and go ahead with that assignment,” he said.
In the last few weeks, several groups have called for Ohakim’s probe. One of such groups was the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), which barricaded all major roads in the state capital in solidarity for the ongoing probe. Following in a quick succession was the Joint Action Group (JAG). This group made up of artisans and market women, gave Okorocha an ultimatum to probe Ohakim or risk mass revolution.
Describing the activity as another wild goose chase, a political analyst, Nze John Ufomba, noted that, “out of all the past corrupt leaders in the country who were purportedly probed, how many of them were convicted? The case of Imo won’t be an exemption. The governor should concentrate on the duty of rescuing the state from years of wanton embezzlement.
According to him, ‘some of those calling for the head of Ohakim, are on a course of vengeance, most of them were denied contracts or other forms of government patronages.’
Although startling and mind-boggling fraud have already been allegedly unearthed by some of the probe committees in their preliminary findings, Ohakim’s foot soldiers are still stuck to their guns as they battle frantically to exonerate their principal, by harping on alleged short comings of Okorocha’s administration.
Recently, in what appeared like the case of the hunter becoming the hunted, Okorocha’s Commissioner for Finance and the State Accountant General, were recently arrested by the EFCC for an alleged N40 billion scam, a situation that helped Ohakim’s sympathisers to sustain the pressure.
In his comment, the South-East Zonal Chairman of Campaign for Democracy (CD), Uzor A Uzor, doubted if the probe would yield positive result. He argued that such probes in other states of the federation, were merely a waste of time and resources as those indicted are still walking the streets, flaunting their ill-gotten wealth.
He however said if the governor wants to continue with the probe, ‘he should extend it to the tenure of Chief Achike Udenwa’s wasteful eight years, where over N600 billion was collected from the federal allocation with nothing to show for it.’
The Acting National President of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Comrade Uche Durueke, said, “although on assumption of office, Okorocha said he was not going to probe Ohakim, but I don’t have anything against the probe, but I think he is probing him because of the various petitions against the state government by the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), over the Local Government Allocation, but it was not wrong because the people have the right to know how their resources are spent”.
Durueke, however, insisted that, the “probe should not be turned into witch hunting. Ohakim should be given the opportunity of fair hearing”.
Imo State Secretary of ALGON, Hon Enyinna Onuegbu, however, alleged that “ the probe was only aimed at beclouding the ongoing EFCC investigation over the large scale misappropriation of Imo LGA funds since 2011 till date, which is over N90 billion”.
As the crossfire continues, observers said it is part of the unfolding political under-currents that will characterize the politics of 2015 in in Imo State. Observers also say will ultimately clip Ohakim’s political wings and those of his associates.
