From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

Former lawmakers of the Imo Assembly, under the aegis of the Former Honourable Members of Imo state House of Assembly (FOMIHA), have backed Governor Hope Uzodimma’s bid to recover property illegally acquired by Rochas Okorocha and others in similar manner.

Addressing newsmen, yesterday, its Chairman, Ike Ibe, said they have monitored events and followed the processes leading to the release of the government’s white paper on the inquiry of land matters and executive implementation of the recommendations of the panel and arrived at the conclusion of supporting the government’s action.

“These actions of the current government in recovering the people’s assets should serve as a pointer for purposeful governance. The prosecution of those who illegally disposed the people of their assets should also serve as a deterrent to future wrongful acts by people who hold government opinions in trust for the public,” Ibe said.

    Regardless, Okorocha said the appeal put up by the government in court on his seized property is a vindication of his earlier claim that there was an existing court judgment on the matter.

    Okorocha, who stated this in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, yesterday, commended the state government for its appeal against the judgment.

    The appeal, which he said is registered on the suit no: HOW/947/2019, sought reliefs on asking the Appeal Court to set aside the judgment of the lower court.

“We are delighted to inform the public that the Imo State government has finally gone on appeal against the judgment of Justice T. N. Nzeukwu over the property in contention.

   The government had gone on appeal since December 3, 2020.

    “By going on appeal, the government has vindicated us. It has authenticated our repeated claim that there has been an existing judgment on these property, with its accompanying orders. It also added flesh to our claim that the government’s onslaught was borne out of hatred, envy and vendetta. We commend the government for finally deciding to toe the paths of honour and law, in lieu of resorting to self help, which we had complained against.

“However, we expect the government to be humble enough to apologise to the public, for feeding them with all kinds of lies,” he saids.