By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The erstwhile governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has denied the news making rounds in print and online media to the effect that he has been arrested along side his wife, Ifeoma Okorocha and other two of his family members by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).
Okorocha who fingered the newly inaugurated Ihedioha-led Peoples Democratic Party government as the mastermind of the lies and propaganda of arrest against him and his family, urged the government not to drag responsible institution like the EFCC into its dirty stock in trade.
The former governor who also condemned the demolition of the Akachi monument (Hand of God Statue), disclosed this on Thursday in a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media, Sam Onwuemeodo sent to Sundiata Post.
Okorocha, while debunking the rumour said:
“We have read on-line including some print media on-line platforms that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has arrested the former Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, the wife, Nneoma Nkechi Okorocha, and one of the brothers, Okey Okorocha, today, being Thursday, May 30, 2019.
“We won’t delay to State that the story of their arrest is not true. It is totally false. It has no iota or atom of truth. Simply put, former Governor Rochas Okorocha, the wife Nneoma and brother Okey, have not been arrested by the Crime Commission. This is the truth of the matter.”
The former governor who advised PDP to abandon its old ways and toe the path of honour also accused the party of contacting some media editors and asking them to make the false story headline when he said:
“The fact is that the new PDP government in the State has decided not to toe the path of honour but has decided to continue the old way of the party, by trading on lies or falsehood. They call it propaganda. The new government is behind the false story. They even called some media editors to make the story headline.
“We only want to ask them to leave responsible institutions or establishments like EFCC out of their dirty tracks especially in dishing out their lies.
“The PDP in the State had written and sponsored a lot of petitions to agencies and Commissions against the former governor. They had told their supporters that the former governor would be whisked away by the EFCC hours after the inauguration on May 29, 2019 and that is the reason behind this falsehood.
“We Contend that EFCC is a National Institution and established by the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If they invite the former governor or the wife or any member of his family for interrogation in the course of their investigation, arising from the PDP’s Petitions they would honour such invitations. And if the Commission decides to also come for any reason, they are also on the right path since it is on a national assignment.
Okorocha therefore asked the PDP or any other group or persons, not give the EFCC the image of an enemy to the people. Adding that they should not be dragging EFCC into their dirty politics as the Commission is not at war with anybody and they PDP should not create that impression about the Commission.
He also used the opportunity to inform the general public that 24hrs after inauguration, the new PDP government in the State carried out its first assignment on Thursday, May 30, 2019 (today) by demolishing“Akachi” (the symbolic hand of God) erected by the former governor.
Okorocha who said that the demolition is suspicious also informed that the new government has changed the Imo Trade and Investment Centre to “Ahiajoku”.
The former governor who said he had taken certain steps to bring Imo people more closer to God said he also heard that Ihedoha wants to close the Government House Chapel.
The Special Adviser on media to the former governor, Sam Onwuemeodo also used the opportunity to inform also that the former governor has asked him to continue as his media aide.