EFCC DID NOT ARREST ME- Ikedi Ohakim

Chief Ikedi Ohakim

The immediate past Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has refuted report by an Owerri based newspaper that he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with the N62 billion fraud contained in a government audit report. He described the story as “a figment of the reporter’s mind” questioning what he did that would warrant EFCC’s arrest.

Ohakim said this in a telephone interview saying “I have never been arrested before by EFCC and as I am speaking, I am holding a meeting in my office in Asokoro, Abuja,” He said for Gov. Rochas Okorocha to accuse his administration of barely completing two or three projects during his tenure “is a sure proof that he (Okorocha) never reads, has refused to read, or did not understand what I put down in the handover document”. It will be recalled that an audit report entitled: “Imo State Account Reconciliation June 2007-May 2011”, submitted to the state government on Monday, alleged that the former governor defrauded Imo State Government of N62 billion. The Chairman of the committee, Mr. Jude Agbaso, who presented the report, said the alleged fraud was carried out through the over valuing of contracts and absence of payment vouchers for contracts awarded. Agbaso, who is the Deputy Governor of the state, alleged the lack of due process in the award of contracts, improper authorization of payments and the lack of projects executed by the administration.