The governor, who convened the first enlarged Imo State stakeholders meeting on Thursday, said he underestimated the “quantum of decay,” which the previous administration plunged the state into while he was campaigning to be elected.
Addressing the audience at the Ahajioku Centre, Ihedioha stated: “When we were campaigning, we honestly underestimated the quantum of rot in the State and the deep hole of corruption and mindless misappropriation perpetuated by the last administration.
“Contracts were most times awarded orally and without documentation, no paper trail and without the input of relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“Our interim findings show a consistent pattern of massive looting and stripping of public assets, dismantling and carting away of public property such as electric poles, vehicles, tucks, office equipment and furniture etc.
“There were last minute illegal sale of government property at giveaway prices and unlawful allocation of land including backdating of Certificates of Occupancy.
“Instances of mindlessly withdrawing cash from government accounts in commercial banks without due process as well as illegally recruiting and promoting civil servants, are common place.
“Unsustainable debts were incurred on behalf of the State running to over a Hundred billion naira without anything to show for it, and consequently, saddling the State with a myriad of lawsuits and Garnishee Orders.
“I must inform you in this regard that, so far we have received over N30 billion worth of Garnishee Orders, arising from several ill-conceived and fraudulent contractual agreements deliberately consummated by the past administration, to destroy the future of the State and its teaming population by fettering the State in a humongous debt trap.
“These were done to put the new administration in a very difficult situation. In spite of all these, I wish to use this opportunity to appeal to our people to remain patient and show understanding as we will not
let any person no matter how highly placed get away from the long arms of the law without accounting for his misdeeds while in office”.
Former Governor Rochas Okorocha taunted Ihedioha to unveil his plan of action for the state and quit the desperation to discredit his administration.
According to a statement by the Media Adviser to the immediate past governor, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, explained: “The concern has been that since Chief Ihedioha was inaugurated as governor, he has not done any other thing than to attack Senator Okorocha and doing all he could, to discredit all the landmark projects of the former governor and he has been restless in doing that.
“Penultimate week, he brought more than 40 writers and key bloggers in the country to Owerri and not to see his achievements because he has not got any or to unveil his Blue-Print but to blackmail Okorocha and discredit his achievements, and at the end of the whole thing, he Commissioned his guests to launch media attacks against the former people’s governor”.
“Once again, we want to appeal to Governor Ihedioha to hit the ground running or keep the ball rolling. And the ground to hit running or the ball to keep rolling cannot be attacking Rochas Okorocha and discrediting his monumental achievements”.
