George Onyejiuwa
Imo State House of Assembly has directed Governor Emeka Ihedioha to immediately set up a panel of inquiry to probe the activities of the immediate past administration headed by Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
This is just as the lawmakers also nullified all last minute appointments made by Governor Rochas Okorocha into boards, agencies, inter-ministerial departments and agencies including permanent secretaries from March 11 to May 28, 2019, which they said were nothing but a booby trap strewn on the path of the new administration.
In a special plenary of the House presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Chinedu Offor also suspended indefinitely all the chairmen of the 27 local government areas of the state and their councillors and asked them to hand over immediately to the directors of administration in each local council.
In a motion sponsored by member representing Aboh Mbaise state constituency, Mike Iheanetu (AA), the lawmakers also asked for a review of all land allocations, land transactions as well as take inventory of all government assets, property and determine all governments assets looted and infrastructures vandalised by officials of the former administration.
The lawmakers in their resolution suspended the establishment of all the new tertiary institutions, as well as review all ownership structure and allocation of funds for their construction.
Among the resolutions passed by the lawmakers at the special plenary included the review of projects undertaken by the immediate past administration, assess ongoing projects, incurred debts, economic value to the state, and determine those that should be. terminated, reviewed or continued.
According to the lawmakers, the panel to be constituted, will review all debts and financial obligations, determine whether they were duly incurred and whether recoveries could be made using relevant agencies.
The House also resolved to invite anti-graft agencies where criminal infractions are involved or determined.
Similarly, in the motion to suspend the local government chairmen and their councillors, sponsored by member representing Ezinihitte state constituency, Mr. Bruno Ukoha (AA), and unanimously adopted the House, the lawmakers expressed regret that the LGA chairmen had slighted the legislators by their wilful refusal to honour the summons of the House.
The House resolved that the chairmen and the councillors should be suspended indefinitely while investigations into the activities of the local government areas were carried out.
They said that their action was necessitated by the illegalities which took place at the twilight of the immediate past administration with a view to setting up a booby trap for the new administration.
The speaker asked the governor to adhere strictly to the resolution.