Okorocha Defrauded ISOPADEC -Prof Okoro
A onetime Commissioner for Petroleum in Imo state, Prof Okee Okoro has stated that former Governor Okorocha's administration brought shame and reproach to the oil rich communities, saying that instead of improving on the well-being of the people, he chose to use their commission, ISOPADEC as a conduit pipe to syphon their resources.
Prof Okoro made this disclosure Monday in a chat with newsmen in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
According to him, as Commissioner for Petroleum and having come from the oil rich local government of Ohaji-Egbema, it would have been fair if he was allowed to supervise ISOPADEC, regretting that all efforts made to facilitate the idea was blocked by Chief Okorocha and his cronies.
Prof Okoro maintained that government's insistence not to allow competent hands to manage the commission made ISOPADEC to owe workers for months, and described the commission under Okorocha as a monumental disaster that would take long to revive.
He expressed regret that through out the administration of former Governor Okorocha, a vibrant commission as ISOPADEC existed without a budget, adding that the idea ended up bringing hardship and misery to oil producing communities like never before.
Disclosing further, Prof Okoro who also served as Supervisory Commissioner for Transportation expressed bitterness that over N460 million belonging to ISOPADEC was allegedly used to purchase new vehicles for former Governors, wondering how such could have been possible when his people never bidded for it.
He said, "it is now a public discourse that N465 million was used by former Governor Okorocha to buy SUV cars to past Governors when our people did not approve such. I am happy that a son of the soil, His Excellency, Engr Gerrard Irona is the Deputy Governor, I have no doubt to believe that he understands that his people are deprived and exploited by the immediate past administration"
"the government should know that the idea of blacklisting oil producing communities from accessing electricity, and other social amenities has triggered the people's quest to become more satanic, when Ideato, Okigwe, Mbaise and Ihette-Uboma respectively enjoy uninterrupted power supply. On the other hand, the money used in buying cars for past Governors should be returned to ISOPADEC since we didn't bargain for such" He submitted.
Prof Okoro while advising Governor Ihedioha not to be quick to behave like the former Governor, also stressed the need for his administration to carry every zone along in the discharge of his duties as Chief Security Officer of the state.