Embattled former governor of Imo State and serving senator, Rochas Okorocha has claimed that Imo State owing him N8 billion Security Votes.
The legislator representing Imo West Senatorial district, was arraigned on a 17-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding Imo State to the tune of N2.9 billion. He, however, denied allegation.
Okorocha, in a Channels Television interview stated that instead of being prosecuted for corruption, should be laying claims to the benefits he ‘rejected’ while serving as governor for eight years.
“How much is Imo State government money?
“Imo State is really owing me because I never collected my security votes; I am supposed to collect N8 billion if I have to make claims for security votes I did not collect.
“I fed myself throughout in the Government House when I was there, I used my personal cars. Those who say I was broke are liars. If you talk about Nigerians blessed by God, I raise my hand to be one of them. I was Rochas before I became governor, in fact, governor made me poorer.
“I had Rochas Foundation Schools – so many of them, over 18,000 before I became governor; to feed these children and educate them, it doesn’t cost anything less than N500 a day. Calculate that and know whether there is any day I wake up that N10 million, N15 million does not go out of my pocket,” Okorocha said.
The politician also stated that it is not the first time he would be facing such action from the EFCC, stressing that the charges against him are politically motivated. Okorocha also accused the anti-graft agency of disobeying court orders relating to the alleged abuse of his fundamental human rights.
“The story of Rochas and EFCC, the story of Rochas and politics of Imo State has been a long dragged one.
“I am not aware of this suit, but what I do know is that the stage I found myself with EFCC, I had an order against EFCC from Federal High Court on the abuse of my human rights, but the EFCC has refused to obey that order.
“It’s been one drama or the other but what is happening actually is that I don’t want to say it is politically motivated, but it is looking more like it.
“Go to Code of Conduct Bureau and see my worth before becoming governor and since I finished, there has never been any property of the government, any cash of government found in my coffers or (that of) any of my family members. There is not anything that I have that has been traced to Imo State government’s money while I was in office,” Okorocha said.