Reactions, yesterday, continued to trail the alleged diversion of the N26 billion bailout funds belonging to Imo State from the Federal Government.
One of such reactions was from the Secretary to Imo State Government, SSG, under Rochas Okorocha, Jude Ejiogu, who told Vanguard in Owerri that he only communicated to the state House of Assembly for its approval to collect the bailout funds, saying he did not participate in the assessment and disbursement of the funds.
When Vanguard reminded him that Okorocha’s administration announced him as one of the managers of the bailout funds, he replied: “Okorocha announced a person that was not on seat. That bailout fund was assessed in 2015. It was in August and disbursed in September. Jude Ejiogu was not in the country then. I was on leave.
“As an SSG, I was to communicate the request to the House of Assembly for it to respond but I was already in the United States. By the time I came back, they had assessed the money and disbursed it. It is on record. Before you manage something, you must be there and not when you are outside the country.”
When Vanguard reminded him of a report which was said to have emanated from Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, on the alleged diversion of the bailout fund by two states in the federation, including Imo and Benue States, Ejiogu insisted that he had no hand whatsoever in the assessment and disbursement of the funds.
In his defence, he said the mentioning of his name as one of the managers of the bailout funds was not the true representation of the whole story.
He called on the people of the state to disregard the story as he was not involved on how the funds were channelled.
