Article: The Looting Of 4.7 Billion Naira Ehime Mbano Council Funds

Kenneth Uwadi

Fela Anikulapo Kuti had a larger than life image and meant different things to many people. He was incessantly brutalized by many governments for supposedly being a deviant. For many however, one of Fela's major sources of attraction was and is the rhythmic, melodious and danceable form of his renditions which made him a constant audience toast wherever he performed personally or his music was played. Despite coming from a middle class background Fela Anikulapo Kuti opted for revolutionary political activism and called his un-registered political party, Movement of the People (MOP) – an act which seriously underscored the necessity of a conscious mass revolt against a system that puts the wealth of the society in few private pockets. That revolutionary path naturally led him into collision with the ruling classes on so many issues including corruption.

In Imo State today, there is not only a stealing governor, but also a  stealing Speaker of the House of Assembly , a stealing  Chief of Staff to the governor   and indeed a compromised politician in police uniform (Commissioner  of Police Ali) which even reminds us that in 'Overtake Don Overtake Overtake' (ODOO) Fela  had also sang. "Police station don turn to bank, Commissioner na Managing Director" . I remember the daily chant of "Police-20 -20 naira" a reference to 20 naira bribe that is always demanded by the Police from commercial drivers in Owerri. A commissioner of police that is protecting criminals and murderers in Imo State but is holding a harmless activist and his wife illegally in detention for 2 months now is bad omen for Imo State as we approach the 2015 election.

A page 12  advertorial of Nigerian Horn Newspaper of July 9-10, 2014  is an eye opener tagged  open letter to Governor Rochas Okorocha: Hon Citizen Samuelson Iwuoha and family are  innocent by De Norsemen Klub (Rc.7458) from Ugochukwu Okere(president) and Emeka Okere(secretary). The Norsemen claimed to be part of a security meeting over the cult killings in Owerri and that they did handed the names of persons that committed  the killings at Samuelson’s street to Imo police command and to Imo government . Yet Mr Ali is still protecting killers and holding an innocent man and his wife in detention  all in the name of dealing with  the critics in Imo, critics like Kenneth Uwadi. No wonder crime is much in Imo State. Imo has a lame duck compromised politician as Commissioner of police.

With the combination of Okorocha, Uwajumogu and  Imo State CP Mr Abdulmajib Ali , Ndi-Imo ‘don become’  what Fela called 'Original Suffer Head'. Imagine how they are looting our local government council funds and are telling us all to shut up. I am talking and they are desperate to  lock me up and take away  my freedom of speech. Plans to lock me up are also borne out of the deep-seated zero tolerance of the government to any opposition to its actions or inactions. Samuelson Iwuoha talked and they are holding him and his wife in detention at the Imo State Police Command Owerri since June 3rd 2014. Okorocha has turned CP Ali into an instrument of repression and intimidation of any opposition to his regime.

We will not be intimidated. Okorocha must stop looting our LGA monies. Take for instance, in Ehime Mbano LGA alone, the sum of N4, 725,559,182.63 that came into the council as FG allocation from May 2011 to December 2013 has developed wings. Ehime Mbano is a Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Ehime. It has an area of 169 square km and a population of 130,931 at the 2006 census. The postal code of the area is 472.

Ehime Mbano Local Government Area Geo Political is in Okigwe senatorial zone that was carved out of the former Mbano L.G.A. Communities in Ehime Mbano LGA include Umualumaku Umueze, Umunakanuowerre, Umukabia, Umuezeama, Umunakanu, Umualumaku Umuihim, Umueze II, Iheafo Umunumo, Umuezeala Owerre, Umueleke, Umuezeala Nsu, Umueze I, Umuduruegwelle, Ezealaowerre Ezike, Ibeowerre Agbaja, Nneano Agbala, Amaimo Unukabia, Dioka Nzerem

Ehime Mbano people have severally cried out against neglect. If you visit the areas mentioned that make up Ehime Mbano  you will  notice the level of poverty and unemployment  in the area. The standard of education in this  council area has gone down to an alarming rate, just like amenities such as safe water, good roads, basic heath care are none-existent in the area. Yet 4.7 billion naira came into Ehime Mbano  from May 2011 to December 2013  as FG allocation. What happened to the 4.7 billion naira? The money developed wings.This money would have developed this area a great deal if it was not squandered by Governor Rochas Okorocha. How can  Okorocha  possibly explain the decision to squander 4.7 billion naira Ehime Mbano council funds within 3 year when  infrastructure and social services in the council  remain collapsed.

From May 2011 to December 2011 the sum of N1,190,078,853.54 came from FG to Ehime Mbano,can anything be shown what this money was used for ?  From January 2012 to December 2012 the sum of  N1,694,362,056.90 came to Ehime Mbano. Where is the money? From January 2013 to December 2013 the sum of  N1,841,118,272.19 came into this same council. Where is the money? The money developed wings. Yet this same man wants us to  elect him  again as governor of Imo State in 2015. Ehime Mbano is this fair? In my next article I will talk about Ngor/Okpala LGA funds. Find below the total breakdown of money from FG to Ehime Mbano from May 2011 to December 2013.

May 2011 N85,446,174.57

June 2011 N125,175,037.01

July 2011 N221,845,812.34

Aug 2011 N129,756,320.63

Sep 2011 N131,700,689.53

Oct 2011 N153,967,818.87

Nov 2011 N209,908,845.85

Dece 2011 N132,278,154.74

Jan 2012 N149,320,439.49

Feb 2012 N132,400,040.69

March 2012 N165,370,094.87

April 2012 N133,793,641.62

May 2012 N124,085,972.85

June 2012 N124,230,364.20

July 2012 N118,368,752.75

Aug 2012 N152,419,302.08

Sep 2012 N118,591,966.62

Oct 2012 N116,899,806.61

Nov 2012 N154,532,873.52

Dec 2012 N204,348,801.60

Jan 2013 N153,345,945.12

Feb 2013 N125,849,064.45

March 2013 N165,370,094.87

April 2013 N157,254,539.31

May 2013 N167,009,580.62

June 2013 N171,896,176.06

July 2013 N131,908,855.12

Aug 2013 N154,505,509.27

Sept 2013 N131,509,876.03

Oct 2013 N118,591,966.62

Nov 2013 N153,967,818.87

Dec 2013 N209,908,845.85

(Uwadi writes from Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria)