The Imo State Government says it has recovered some looted government properties in a warehouse believed to be owned by former Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Simon Ebegbulem, made this known to newsmen on Thursday in Owerri, the state capital.
Ebegbulem, who led a team to the warehouse located along Owerri/ Aba Road, said the recovered items are a missing Nsu ceramic and tiles industry equipment
The commissioner said the equipment were stacked with other public-owned facilities.
He alleged that one of the items which were looted was for the alleged establishment of a private ceramic and tiles company by Okorocha.
Ebegbulem said: “The said 55-feet by 200-length warehouse is adjacent another warehouse where the then Emeka Ihedioha administration discovered some public properties said to be owned by the state.
”There was a time the administration of Hope Uzodimma raised the alarm on the equipment of Nsu Ceramic and Tiles Industries looted by the administration of Rochas Okorocha. That was after some patriotic citizens of the state raised the alarm on these looted Imo properties kept by the Okorochas along Owerri/Aba Road.
”We followed up to find out the truth and with what we have seen in Okorocha’s warehouse; there is a plan by Okorocha to set up a ceramic factory with government-owned properties as a personal factory.
“Information we have gathered from those guarding the warehouse is that sometimes, their (Okorocha’s) people come here to pick some items and sell them off.
”However, some of the equipment we are looking for are here and we have come to take possession of Imo properties and anybody we see here will blame himself. We have taken over the government properties for the good of Imolites based on their demands.
”Some of the public properties discovered included equipment of the Nsu Ceramic and Tiles Industry set up by the then government of Sam Mbakwe as the industry established for Imo people have been personalised.
”We also found street light equipment and their components, traffic light accessories, artificial tree plants were all found in the large warehouse owned by Okorocha.
“Also, a molder from the Nsu tiles and ceramics and other components of the Nsu Ceramic and Tiles Industry were discovered to be in the warehouse and now, we have taken over.”
