A group, Imo Good Governance Team (IGGT) has tasked the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma to investigate the activities of the permanent secretary of the state ministry of works, Engr. Ogbuka C. C.
The group gave the charge in a petition dated June 9, 2020 and addressed it to the state governor.
While expressing its belief in the governor’s fight against corruption, the group assured the governor of its willingness to help the government with information to assist in the investigation regarding the subject matter.
The petition reminded the governor of one of his statements, when he was newly sworn in, acknowledging corruption in the civil service, with a promise to rid the state of corruption.
The petition alleged that a Total Filling Station located along Port Harcourt Road, close to Avu Mechanic village built with over N500 Million, belonged to Ogbuka.
The petition quoted a newspaper report which stated that, aside the filling station, there were four other filling stations owned by the permanent secretary, including a 5-star hotel which is under construction at New Owerri area.
The petition therefore called on the governor to as a matter of urgency institute an immediate probe of Ogbuka, saying “This will serve as a deterrent to other corrupt civil servants in the state.”
In the petition titled, ‘Request to probe activities of Engr. Ogbuka C.C., permanent secretary’, and signed by Comrade Ugochukwu Nwabechie and Comrade Gideon Azuzu, president and secretary respectively, the group alleged that it “received with shock the report on how Engr Ogbuka CE, who is currently the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, conspired with the former governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha to defraud Imo people their taxpayers’ money by diverting such monies meant for road construction in Imo”.
It added, “Suffice it to say that Ogbuka is one of such corrupt civil servants and should be shown the way out of the civil servant if confirmed that the report is true. It is inexplicable that a civil servant who earns less than N150,000 monthly as salary could acquire eye-popping properties in and outside Owerri”.
Reported by: Fatimah Oyesanmi
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