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Tag: Okorocha

  • Alleged corruption: EFCC raises team to probe Amosun, Okorocha, Yari, others as tenure ends

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has set up crack teams to probe some outgoing governors accused of diverting state funds.

    Recall that About 12 states will have new governors on May 29 after the tenure of the current ones would have ended.

    The states that will have new chief executives include Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Kwara, Nasarawa, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Zamfara.

    Of the 12 states, however, four governors have been accused of corruption.

    They include Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State; Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed; the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; and Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun.

    Governor ROchas Okorocha of Imo

    Okorocha, who has been suspended by the All Progressives Congress, has been accused of diverting over N1bn meant for the campaign of his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, who contested on the platform of the Action Alliance.

    The EFCC said in an interim report that it had arrested the Accountant-General of Imo State, Uzoho Casmir, for allegedly helping Okorocha to launder N1.05bn for the governorship and state House of Assembly elections.

    Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara State

    In Zamfara State, the EFCC is investigating Yari for alleged diversion of funds running into billions of naira.

    A Federal High Court in Abuja had, in 2017, ordered an interim forfeiture of the sums of N500m and $500,000 said to have been looted from the Paris Club refunds made by the Federal Government in favour of the 36 states of the federation.

    The sums of money, said to have been recovered from two firms, First Generation Mortgage Bank Limited, and Gosh Projects Limited, were allegedly linked to Yari.

    The EFCC alleged that the sums of money were fraudulently diverted from the NGF’s bank account on the instruction of Yari. According to the commission, about N500m from the money was diverted to offset Yari’s personal loan obtained from the First Generation Mortgage Bank Limited.

    Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed of Kwara State

    Ahmed of Kwara State, will also be invited by the EFCC once his tenure comes to an end.

    His successor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, has also vowed to probe the governor once he loses his immunity.

    Ahmed, who is the godson to Senate President Bukola Saraki, was accused of diverting state funds.

    Earlier in the month, the EFCC arrested six commissioners and government officials in Kwara State for allegedly diverting N1bn a week before the National Assembly and presidential elections.

    The EFCC said in a situation report that bank officials had been brought in for questioning and had made relevant statements.

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State

    Amosun, who has been suspended by the APC, has also come under probe by the commission.

    The probe was sequel to a petition written by a group, Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate, over an alleged misappropriation of N4bn Anchor Borrowers’ Fund meant for Ogun farmers.

    The group, in the petition dated February 20, 2019, alleged that the sum was made available to the Amosun-led government in 2017 by the Central Bank of Nigeria to provide jobs for the residents through the mass production of rice.

    It alleged that Amosun staged a jamboree ceremony and set up fake rice pyramids to deceive the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, when he (Emefiele) visited the state last year.

    The group further accused the governor of abandoning the project in spite of his promise to establish rice plantations in the three senatorial districts of the state.

    EFCC may wait longer (2023) for Returning Governors

    The EFCC may, however, have to wait till 2023 before taking further action on five governors-elect – Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Udom Emmanuel, as well as Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, who are all being investigated for alleged diversion of public funds.

    Should Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, win re-election in April, the EFCC will also have to wait till 2023 before taking any action against him.

    A panel constituted to investigate the electoral and other offences perpetrated during the December 10, 2016 Rivers parliamentary re-run said that it recovered N111m from 23 INEC officials.

    The Chairman of the panel, Damian Okoro, alleged that three senior electoral officers collected N20m each out of the N360m given to them by Governor Wike, while the remaining officers received N15m each.

    When contacted on phone, spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade, said all the corruption allegations would be treated on a “case-by-case” basis.

    Orilade said, “I don’t have the full details of the cases but investigations have been going on as regards some of these cases and as soon as their immunity is gone, we will take further action and if there is a prima facie case, we will take the matter to court.

    “As for those who have won and are going to be covered by immunity, it does not mean that investigations will stop. They are not immune from investigation but from prosecution as guaranteed by the constitution. And at the proper time, if there is a prima facie case, they will be prosecuted.”

  • INEC breaks silence on why it withheld Okorocha’s Certificate of Return

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday cleared air on its decision to withhold certificates of return of Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and three others.

    Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Electoral Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, said the decision “does not amount to shifting goal post at the middle of a match.“

    He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Awka that INEC only issue certificate to people who genuinely won elections.

    “Issuance of certificates of return is a statutory function of INEC, it is only issued to those who won election and must be done through free will of a returning officer.

    “In the case of Imo West Senatorial zone where Okorocha contested, the Otu-Opi Federal Constituency in Benue, Agayi State Constituency and another in Akwa Ibom.

    “What INEC is saying is that you can’t engage in bad electoral behaviour and expect INEC to reward you with a certificate.

    “Our certificate is only for those who won freely,” he said.

    Okoye said the commission has the right not to issue certificate to such persons as it would amount to abnormality.

    He said INEC action is not targeted at the voters who voted people of their choice, but to address excesses of those who wanted to use unconventional means to win elections.

    “Once we have such case, INEC will not issue certificate, but ensure that the right thing is done,” he said.

    He said at the moment that contenders of the positions in all the four affected areas are in court adding that INEC is awaiting for the outcome of the pending matters.

    Okoye said if the court orders INEC to issue certificates of return to the people involved, it would do same.

    He said if a consequential order is made directing INEC to conduct fresh election in the areas, the commission would do same.

  • APC speaks on ‘helping’ Okorocha retrieve Certificate of Return from INEC

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday says it cannot help the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, who has been denied a certificate of return as a senator-elect because he is still on suspension.

    The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Isa-Onilu, said this at a Press conference in Abuja.

    He said the governor himself was aware of his suspension, hence, “he has not reported his dilemma to the party.”

    Isa-Onilu said, “We cannot take any position on that now. Governor Okorocha is on suspension. He, too, has not reported the case to us because he knows he is on suspension.

    “Until that is vacated, we can’t handle his case.”

     

  • Okorocha orders banks to openly counter PDP’s debt allegation against his administration

    Okorocha orders banks to openly counter PDP’s debt allegation against his administration

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has restated that his administration has never borrowed money from any bank within or outside the country.

    He gave the financial institutions seven days ultimatum to openly counter the claim if it is not true.

    Okorocha also disclosed that his administration does not owe workers, adding that workers’ salaries have been paid up to February 2019.

    The outgoing governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, challenged any bank with contrary claim to “openly indicate and give details of such transaction for the public to know”.

    According to him: “We have come up with this position because the PDP is synonymous with falsehood and propaganda.

    “And even as a party, if they know any bank the government of Rochas Okorocha has borrowed one naira from, they should mention such bank and state the particulars of the transaction so that interested persons can verify or forever, they should keep their mouths shut”.

    He continued: “Owing to Governor Okorocha’s monumental achievements, opponents of the administration have always erroneously concluded that he must have borrowed heavily from the banks.

    “And that is the reason we are now stating openly that the Rescue Mission administration which Owelle Okorocha has superintended for almost eight years now has not borrowed money from any bank.

    “We also want to state that Imo State Government has paid workers’ Salary up to the month of February 2019, and the payment of the month of March Salary is about to commence.

    “In other words, the State Government is not owing any outstanding salary.

    “Again, the government of Governor Okorocha is not owing any contractor. And if any contractor has any claim in the contrary he or she should immediately go to the Office of the Secretary to the government of Imo State with the relevant papers before May 29, 2019.

    “We are doing this so that people would not come after the governor has left Office to lie against him or make dubious claims.

    “It is also on record that the administration has run free education since 2011 from Primary to tertiary and no child pays one kobo as tuition fee while the government also repurchased state owned companies sold by the previous administrations including the Resin Paint Industry Mbaise”.

  • Okorocha drags INEC to court over refusal to issue him certificate of return

    Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State on Wednesday, asked the Federal High Court Abuja to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to issue him with a Certificate of Return as the senator-elect for Imo West Senatorial District.

    In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/296/2019, Mr Okorocha argued that INEC lacked the statutory powers to withhold his Certificate of Return.

    He insists that he was validly elected to occupy the senatorial seat.

    He, therefore, urged the court to declare that the electoral body acted in error when it refused to recognise him, even after the returning officer had declared him the winner.

    In Okoracha’s suit filed through his team of lawyers led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, INEC was cited as the sole defendant.

    The judge, Taiwo Taiwo, has fixed April 5 to commence hearing on the matter, according to a report by Vanguard Newspaper.

    Taiwo granted the prayers of an application that was filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate, Jones Onyeriri and that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Osita Izunaso.

    Messrs Onyeriri and Izunaso who were joined as interested parties in the matter and were subsequently listed as 2nd and 3rd defendants, respectively.

    Recall that Okorocha was declared the winner of the Imo West senatorial election. However, few hours after the declaration, the presiding officer, Francis Ibeawuchi said he was forced to make the declaration under duress.

    It is based on that that the electoral commission removed Okorocha’s name from the elected senators’ list and said it is reviewing the situation in the district.

    Okorocha, who was conspicuously absent at the INEC presentation of certificates of return to senators-elect on March 14, questioned INEC’s decision to remove his name from the list of elected senators.

    He suggested that the commission might have been preparing a special event to issue him his certificate of return.

    But INEC responded by saying there is no special ceremony prepared for anybody whose name did not appear on its list of successful candidates in the 2019 general elections.

  • Certificate of Return: INEC reacts to Okorocha’s expectation of ‘special ceremony’

    Certificate of Return: INEC reacts to Okorocha’s expectation of ‘special ceremony’

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to a statement credited to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State that the commission was planning a special ceremony for him to present his certificate of return since he was not invited with the others who received theirs last week.

    The commission responding by saying there was no special ceremony prepared for anybody whose name did not appear on its list of successful candidates in the 2019 general elections.

    “There is no special ceremony for anybody. I think we should get that one quite clear. Anybody thinking otherwise will be living in fool’s paradise,” said Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, INEC’s director of Voter Education and Publicity during a programme on Channel Television Monday.

    Osaze-Uzzi was asked to respond to a comment by Rochas Okorocha.

    Okorocha, Imo State’s outgoing governor, had questioned INEC’s decision to remove his name from the list of elected senators. He suggested that the commission might have been preparing a special event to issue him his certificate of return.

    Okorocha was declared the winner of the Imo West senatorial election. The presiding officer, however, said he was forced to make the declaration.

    It is based on that that the electoral commission removed Okorocha’s name from the elected senators’ list and said it was reviewing the situation in the district.

    Okorocha was conspicuously absent on Thursday when INEC issued certificates of return to senators’ elect.

    “I was not there because INEC has removed my name from the list of elected Senators… I am actually waiting to hear why INEC struck my name out,” Leadership Newspaper quoted Mr Okorocha as saying after the event.

    “I think probably, INEC must be trying to do something special, because I understand that once results have been declared and returns made, then you are bound to be issued a certificate of return.”

    Reacting Monday, the INEC official said the governor was in the best position to answer the question he raised

    “As far as we are concerned, we have presented certificates to those due to get certificates and for those who could not come for one reason or the other, we will still present theirs to them if they are yet to receive,” he said.

    Osaze-Uzzi said when a declaration is made under duress, “I don’t think there will be a second ballot. The return officer and the commission will take a decision and we will alert the public when the time is apt for that.”

  • You should be hiding your face in shame, Uzodinma blasts Okorocha

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), Imo State governorship candidate, Hope Uzodinma, has chided Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, advising him to hide his face in shame instead of blaming him and the national leadership of the party over his failed plot to install his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, as governor of the state.

    Reacting to the comment credited to Governor Okorocha that the APC failed to win the Imo governorship election due to his candidacy, Uzodinma in a statement, reminded the governor that even as ‘a sitting governor’ he failed to win a senatorial election, resulting in his compelling the Returning Officer to announce him winner under duress.

    He boasted that if he walks the street of Owerri and other parts of the state with Governor Okorocha, Imolites will haul stones at him, urging him to accept his burial politically.

    “I thought by now Okorocha should be hiding his face in shame after he lost his bid to install his son-in-law and win his senatorial election. Despite all the billions he spent to stop the APC and I in the state, but from the results of the polling units I won the election and we will prove it.

    “But Okorocha has lost his deposit and he is finished politically. He is an expert in running people down, but God has punished him today. This same man worked against the APC and has the gut to speak about others. I challenge Okorocha for a walk in the streets of Owerri if Imo people will not stone him.

    “Thank God all his conspiracy against us has ended and he has buried himself politically. I expect that by now he should be apologising to the people of Imo State for the crime he committed against God and humanity. I will reclaim my mandate which Okorocha and Ihedioha stole last weekend and then I will have something to tell Okorocha,” the statement emphasised.

  • INEC planning special event to issue me certificate of return – Okorocha

    INEC planning special event to issue me certificate of return – Okorocha

    Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may be planning to organise a special event to issue him a certificate of return.

    Okoricha stated this on the backdrop of the omission of his name from those that INEC issued certificates of return.

    He stated this on Thursday in Abuja while speaking with newsmen in reaction to the development.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okorocha was suspended from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on March 1 over alleged anti party activities by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

    Though he was said to have won the Imo West Senatorial election held on Feb. 23, INEC omitted his name from those it issued certificates of return.

    There have been speculations that Okorocha was declared winner of the Feb.23, election under duress by the Returning Officer of the election.

    Okorocha, while debunking the allegation, said some persons who are opposed to his election’s victory are working to rig him out.

    “Those behind the plot, are however, not smart in executing the project to rig me and my son in-law who is the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) Uche Nwosu out,” he said.

    Okorocha criticised INEC’s declaration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Emeka Ihedioha as Imo Governor-elect, saying he fell short of the criteria.

    He alleged that Ihedioha did not have the needed spread of 25 per cent votes across the Local Government Areas of the state as required by law to emerge winner.

    He stressed that the PDP candidate could,therefore not be declared winner of the poll.

    “I am sure you are aware that I was conspicuously absent at the certificates issuance ceremony.

    “I was not there because INEC has removed my name from the list of elected Senators, having been declared the winner by the zonal returning officer.I am actually waiting to hear why INEC struck my name out.

    “I think probably, INEC must be trying to do something special, because I understand that once results have been declared and returns made, then you are bound to be issued a certificate of return,”he said.

    He added that he was however, in the dark as to why the commission exempted him from the ceremony and why he was not invited to collect his certificate of return.

    “Maybe, INEC will want to organise a special programme for me to hand over the certificate of return to me, because clearly, I won and it was a peaceful election, the best you can ever think of,” he said.

    He said the allegations in some quarters that he was declared winner under duress as claimed by the electoral commissioner could not be true.

    “I do not understand what that means, because there was nothing of such. How can you put somebody on duress to declare you the winner of an election that you have already won?

    “It is not true, but I must let the world understand that this is a game that is being played.

    “The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo is playing a script, and the script is so funny, it is so cruel and crude actually and they are executing it in a funny way.

    “I understand that people are beginning to fight a war of the future now when we are not even yet there.

    “The idea is that, do not give Okorocha a certificate; you must slow him down until after they have elected the presiding office, then you can let him come in,”he said.

    He added that the idea is to also ensure that he does not become anything in the Senate and to make sure that his governorship candidate, who is his son in-law does not emerge winner.

    Okorocha further added that his political opponents wanted to cripple him politically before 2023, saying that this is what is happening.

    “I will advise INEC to do the right thing, to release my certificate so that I can celebrate as others, I want to be in the Senate, and it will be interesting if am there,” Okorocha said.

    He said INEC should not allow his political opponents to use it as an instrument to achieve their desires.

  • Okorocha missing in action as INEC presents certificates of return to senators-elect

    Okorocha missing in action as INEC presents certificates of return to senators-elect

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made good its word by not recognizing the election of Rochas Okorocha into the Senate.

    Imo state governor’s name was missing among the Senators-elect who received their certificates of return (CoR) at the International Conference Centre Thursday.

    Okorocha was said to have won one of the senatorial seats in Imo state.

    Consequently, INEC placed an embargo on his victory at the poll.

    Details shortly…

  • Okorocha dares INEC, insists his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu won Imo guber poll

    Incumbent Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has declared his son-in-law and candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Uche Nwosu won Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

    “I say so because going by the actual calculation, the person that won this election is Ugwumba Uche Nwosu.

    “Uche Nwosu won the election landslide, if you remove the manipulation results from Mbaise, Uche Nwosu won with over 50,000 votes, if you cannot declare him a winner because you have someone already, then they should go for a rerun because you cannot change the Constitution if the Federal Republic of Nigeria because you want to favour a candidate,” he insisted.

    He said Nwosu was rigged out of victory by the Governor-elect Emeka Ihedioha in connivance with Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Professor Francis Ezeonu.

    He accused Ezeonu of working for PDP, saying he wrecked democracy with his complicity in alleged electoral manipulations.

    According to him: “The REC has shown he was brought to Imo after the 2015 election to return PDP to power in the state.

    “The REC had acted illegally by ignoring the provision of the Constitution that makes it mandatory for a candidate to have 25 percent in 2/3 of the Local Governments in the State by announcing the PDP candidate, Emeka Ihedioha who only met the requirement in 9 Local Governments instead of 18 LGAs which is 2/3 of 27 LGAs winner.”

    Okorocha also wondered why the REC should accept the outrageous figures from the three Local Governments Areas of Aboh Mbaise, Ahiazu Mbaise and Ezinihitte where the PDP candidate got 64,219 votes from Aboh Mbaise alone.

    He stated the figures from the three LGAs constituted 50 percent of the total votes got by the PDP candidate in the State with 27 LGAs.

    “In the course of this manipulation, we all observed that the REC decided not to use the collation officers from Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), which he disbanded for reasons he gave that they have met with politicians.

    “Again, he brought some people whom he introduced from the University of Agriculture Umudike.

    “They arrived just a night before the election date and we thought we have gotten the collation officers. Again, those ones were disbanded on the same reason that they have met with politicians, I wonder how this is possible having arrived the state after midnight on the election eve.

    “Now the REC went to his own University in Awka to bring in collation officers.

    “We believed him not knowing that he brought people he has been training for a hatched job for some weeks now in Anambra State to come and carry out this injustice in Imo State.

    “These men arrived with heavy security from Anambra and went straight to the various Local Governments.

    “We never knew that these were relatives of the PDP candidate and from the same Local Government. These are relatives of the PDP Candidate who were already briefed of what to do.

    “This explains the over voting witnessed in Mbaise. Out of the 270,000 votes that he scored, 50 percent of it or over 130,000 all came from just three local governments of Mbaise”, he stated.

    He added “As far as I am concerned and we still maintain that REC has wrecked democracy in Imo State. Unfortunately for them, they were not smart enough to know that section 179 requires you to have a spread at least in 2/3 of the local governments before you can be declared a winner.

    “They ended up with only 9 local governments instead of 18 required by law. The Returning Officer was advised by all the Senior Staff of INEC against declaring a winner without looking at the Constitution.

    “This man in a hurry decided to announce the result against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

    “This is wrong, in doing so, the Returning Officer didn’t even consider the results cancelled, total voters cancelled in the different Polling Booths, was enough to declare the election inconclusive as the difference between the PDP and AA would have called for a supplementary election. With the speed with which he announced the result tells you that the man is part of the game. This again is unacceptable to all of us,” he said.