Task Force Adopts Whistle Blowing Policy To Recover Looted Property In Imo

Irked by the lack of cooperation from appointees of the immediate past administration of Governor Rochas Okorocha, who allegedly carted away government moveable assets while leaving office, the Chairman of the task force on the recovery of government property, Mr. Jasper Ndubuaku, has said that the task force has adopted whistle blowing policy to recover the looted property.

Under the policy, Ndubuaku said that any person who reports the location of any government property  will be rewarded according to the monetary value of the item.

Ndubuaku had told newsmen in Owerri, that Okorocha and his wife went away with 67 vehicles, while his Aide de Camp (ADC) went home with five and his driver one.

He said in many instances commissioners and local government chairmen stripped their offices bare. He added that all the 27 local government chairmen and 30 commissioners went away with one government property or the other, including cars.

Explaining how the whistle blowing policy would work, Ndubuaku said, “We told them: Give us the information, we will reward you. Any staff that comes up to tell us where any property is, after recovering, we will value and monetise their percentage and give them. In some instances, we have had drivers and cooks come up to tell us where their bosses hid some of the vehicles and property and we are poised to recover them all. So let them know that there is no hiding place for them. We will recover every government property looted by anybody.”

According to him, the task force has been able to identify the locations of some of the property, adding that he will not hesitate to lead his men even to the remotest village to recover them.

“It’s inconceivable that a government employee would condescend so low to loot their offices while leaving. In some instances, even spoons, beddings, curtains, kitchen utensils, office chairs, computer, fans, television sets were carted away.

Ndubuaku said that most annoying was the fact one of the siblings of the former governor and former Commissioner for Happiness and Purpose Fulfilment, Ogechi Ololo, got the contract to furnish most of the offices and at the end also looted them.

Taking newsmen on tour of the office of the commissioner, Ndubuaku said that what was left were only files and some campaign materials.

He said, “Can you imagine that this is the office of the commissioner. Not even a chair was left. These two chairs here were taken from the office of the permanent secretary.

“One church that called themselves ‘Rescue Church’ was discovered to be using government buses for their church activities. We told them that the rescue mission has ended and it is now time for us to rescue our property.”

He said that the task force had tabulated all the missing items and had written to the officers concerned. “This is just to give them the last chance. If they don’t comply we will storm their houses with enough men and carry anything on sight. Then they will have the pain of coming to identify which one is government’s and which one is theirs.”