Posted by By JULIANA FRANCIS, Lagos and JOE NWANKWO, Abuja on
Twelve more local government chairmen from Imo State have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to bring the number to 22.
Twelve more local government chairmen from Imo State have been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to bring the number to 22.
This is even as the state's Governor Achike Udenwa, denied that he was a guest of EFCC, while accusing his political opponents of trying to derail his presidential aspiration with frivolious allegations.
Daily Sun gathered that the council chairmen arrested on Thursday by EFCC operatives are Barrister Pita Ogbonna (Ezimmiri), Chief Acho Ihim (Okigwe), Chief Simeon Iwunze (Isiala Mbano), Rita Okoroafor (Onuimo), Chief Dennis Agu (Ehime Mbano), Chief Toby Onyekele (Ihitte Uboma), Osita Opara (Mbaitolu Ikeduru), Barrister Emma Nwaogu (Ngor Okpalla), Chief Vincent Ehirin (Owerri Municipal), Chief Gerry Ogoke (Ahiazu Mbaise), Nze Okpara Ochaekwe (Owerri North) and Barrister Best Njoku (Aboh Mbaise).
The deputy spokesman of EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said the 12 men were picked in respect of alleged fraud for which the earlier arrested chairmen are being investigated.
It would be recalled that trouble came for the council chairmen when EFCC began investigation into allegations that 27 local government chairmen in Imo State squandered and misapplied funds amounting to N1.2 billion.
A petition was said to have been written by some politicians in the state, led by Senator Arthur Nzeribe indicting all the 27 chairmen. Few of the chairmen have allegedly left the country to avoid arrest.
The accused men were alleged to have contributed N27 million for the construction of a four kilometre road in the local governments, but no road was executed.
Daily Sun learnt that the money was allegedly used to organise a seminar.
Meanwhile, Gov Udenwa says he was never summoned by the EFCC over alleged misappropriation of N5 billion local government funds. He also said he was qualified to run for the Presidency in 2007.
Speaking to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, the governor, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Bright Nwelue attributed the petitions to the EFCC to his political opponents who want to derail and distract him from running for the nation's plum position through blackmail and distortion of facts.
According to Nwelue: 'It is not true that Chief Achike Udenwa was summoned by the commission or invited by anybody over council funds. The only invitation to his Excellency to Abuja is the one for the Peoples Domocratic Party (PDP) governors."