A group, Media Initiative Against Injustice, Violence, and Corruption (MIIVOC), has given Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma a seven-day ultimatum to account for ₦3. 6 billion Imo State Oil Producing Areas Developing Commission (ISOPADEC) fund.
MIIVOC threatened to sue Uzodinma for N10 billion if he fails to respond after the expiration of the ultimatum.
In a statement on Sunday, the Executive Director of the group, Dr. Walter Duru, also alleged that the governor was unable to constitute the board of the commission seven months after he assumed office, saying he had violated the law establishing the body.
The statement said: “Seven months into the present administration, no board has been inaugurated for the commission and everything about its operations is opaque.
“Seven months into the administration, statutory fund for the commission, being 40 per cent of the 13 per cent derivation fund, amounting to over N3 billion cannot be accounted for. About ₦600m left in ISOPADEC coffers by the last managers of the commission has disappeared from the account.”
It added: “We have it on good authority that the governor has directed the Head of Service of the State to take over the running of the commission. The government has also enrolled staff of the commission on the purported automated salary system for state civil servants, slashing their salaries by about 80 per cent. These are obvious infractions to the law establishing the commission.”
But the Senior Special Assistant (SSA), Media (Print) to the Governor, Modestus Nwankpa, said the group should ask the Emeka Ihedioha government to account for the money.
Nwankpa said: “If MIIVOC is looking for any missing funds, they should ask the immediate past administration. They know. They are in a better position to answer that.
“Governor Uzodinma is working hard to remedy the mess in ISOPADEC. He is trying to clear the mess he met in the commission before he appoints a new board.”
THE EASTERN UPDATES
