Imo State government, yesterday, said it would use the “dragon” style in the recovery process of government property in the hands of private appointees of former governor Rochas Okorocha.
The government, through its committee on Recovery of Government Property, headed by Jasper Ndubuaku, said in Owerri, that the idea of the “dragon” move came after several appeals to them to return the property failed.
Ndubuaku described his dragon move as the use of force in carrying out his duties.
He also estimated that so far, government property in the hands of individuals were worth over N50 billion.
Ndubuaku alleged that the governor, his wife, commissioners, local government chairmen as well as appointees are those who have been identified to be with government property. According to him, ”when this government came in, we walked around Government House, ministries and discovered that the immediate past government and those who worked under them practically looted everything in the government. “We have been able to identify these things where they are and we have written to them and appealed to them to return the government assets.
Some said the vehicles are accidented and in Abuja; we said let us know where they are and we will go there and carry them. “Before the government left, there were buses that were bought for local government chairmen and some security buses.
They all disappeared into individual hands. “We also discovered that about 15 buses are in the hands of some people who called themselves rescue missionaries. They said they are church people. They are using it to run their activities. “We are saying this because, it is not how government should be run. We have appealed to them to look at this from the positive side because the things that are missing in the state are worth more than N50 billion and the state cannot afford the money to replace all these things now.” He narrated his experience in his new assignment, saying “at one house we went to at Nekede, we waited there for eight hours. Probably the man saw us and left his house.
“When we wanted to tow away the vehicle, some people told us that the man was running around for his brother’s burial and we left him and asked him to return the vehicle himself. “We will unleash the dragon. What I mean by that is it will be full force with Imo citizens. We will march them to that place to recover our property. “I can practically tell you that a lot of Imo people are interested in working with us now. We have the names of these looters and I am not going to give you their names and addresses for now.
“Let me give an example.An ADC to the former governor took five government vehicles including hilux vans, land cruiser jeeps and many others. A driver to the governor, gave himself a Prado jeep.
“The wife of the governor, who is not an appointee of the government, carried about seven vehicles, including bullet proof jeeps. “And the most painful is that the governor carried everything under him. He did not leave anything.”