From Ikenna Esogibe and Austin Chikwado
A concerned resident of owerri, Imo capital city has appealed to the conscience of the state governor, Hope Uzodinma to order for immediate removal and prosecution of the general manager of Owerri Capital Development Authority, Francis Chukwu.
The resident who spoke on condition of anonymity revealed that Chukwu has failed woefully to accomplish task given to him by Imo State Government to sanitize the agency and restore back confidence of Imo people.
She revealed that the OCDA GM has done more harm than good to the Agency, mostly in revenue status which he met in good condition rather than the way it is.
The resident who is angry over the activities of the GM alleged that Chukwu is totally working against the single treasury account policy of Uzodinma shared prosperity administration, accusing him of diverting funds made to go into state purse into his personal account through his boys who work as Personal Assistants in his office.
The aggrieved resident told our correspondent who visited the OCDA premises on tuesday that the agency under management of Francis Chukwu is as good as dead, alleging that the agency’s revenue generation have gone 75 (seventy five) percent below what it used to be.
She promised to show newsmen some of the alleged properties fraudulently acquired by the OCDA GM, including multi million naira mansion he recently built in his Community in Umueze 1, Ehime Mbano local government area while he is in the office.
The concerned resident who spoke on condition of anonymity further revealed that Chukwu, since his assumption of office as OCDA GM has acquired not fewer than two hotel buildings which is under construction in new Owerri, old Nekede road.
She argued while the governor who came for recovery as his mantra is working with an appointee who is busy diverting funds to his personal account and printing personal receipts for transaction.
She pleaded that the govenor should checkmate the activities of Chukwu, the GM of Owerri Capital Development Authority or use his good office to set up a committee that will investigate the irregularities he has brought to the agency in this recent times.
However, some newsmen who visited the agency for fact- finding confirmed that weeds have taken over some parts of the premises of the agency which generates revenue for the state government, while so many workers have stopped coming to work as a result of the purported unacceptablities between the workers and the manager who they also accused of being high-handed.
Meanwhile, a staff from engineering department of the agency who pleaded anonymity also told Journalists on tuesday that they will soon embark on strike or go for road protest to express their dissatisfaction with the GM’s conducts in OCDA.
He said, “Chukwu’s administrative Rascality is second to none, he is now using a Junior staff that is loyal to him who is below level 10 against the senior as the “DAF” this is to accomplish his dirty deal for fraud and diversion of funds, which is against civil service rules.
“Sometimes we imagine where the OCDA is heading to, with Chukwu as manager, but we have stopped complaining since he categorically made it clear to us that the office was used to settle his family and his senior brother Tony Chukwu who is close friend to the Govenor.
“Believe me, if this is how this agency was ran during other past administrations there would be nothing like OCDA till now” he said.
Every efforts made by our correspondent to reach the GM and his public relations officer for clarification was proofed abortive at the press time, even when visited the office the GM .
