There are strong indications that the former governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha may be declared wanted by the Imo State government.
This may not be unconnected to the alleged refusal of Rochas Okorocha to honour invitations to appear before the panel to clarify issues related to how he handled funds belonging to the state during the eight years he held sway as governor.
It would be recalled that Imo State Government has a judicial panel of inquiry on public funds which was set up by the Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha administration and was inherited by Senator Uzodinma who ordered the panel to continue their work.
Maazi Online learnt that following the failure of the former governor to appear before it, the panel has concluded arrangements to use due process to demand for a warrant for his arrest to force him to appear before the panel.
Several aides of the ex governor including former commissioners had already appeared before the probe to give relevant testimonies of their stewardship in some cases giving damaging testimonies against the former governor.
Some of those who appeared before the probe panel were the former Principal Secretary to former governor Okorocha and now a serving House of Reps member, Hon Paschal Obi as well as a one-time SUBEB chairman, Dr Mrs Uche Ejiogu.
Deacon Chike Okafor who served as Okorocha’s finance commissioner during his first tenure and presently a two-time Reps member had also appeared before the panel.
Maazi Online learnt that it was after two previous invitations extended to him which Okorocha failed to appear that prompted the probe committee to think of going to court to obtain a warrant arrest to compel him to appear before them.
It was also gathered that the proposal for the arrest has been sent to Governor Hope Uzodinma for approval before the committee goes ahead with the plan.
Okorocha who was supposed to appear on March 24th date after the last adjourned date again failed to appear before the committee.
In another related development, the Chairman of the Probe Panel, Justice Benjamin Iheaka, had on Wednesday threatened to jail the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Nnamdi Agunobi for refusing to comply to the directives of the panel.
He regretted why such a serious issue should be toyed with, adding that refusal of the office of the Perm Sec of the Bureau incharge of LGA affairs to bring photocopies of transactions involving the 27 general hospital is an act of disobedience to the probe panel.
He insisted that the Perm Sec’s excuses are unacceptable and may land him in very serious trouble.
“Not compliance to court directives is contemptuous” the panel head declared.
The Perm was earlier ordered to produce photocopies of vital documents relating to the building contracts but he failed to do so claiming that the Bureau has no fund to do all the photocopies.
