Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has said whoever that will be his successor if he leaves office should probe his administration.
Addressing a cross section of stakeholders on Saturday at the Eze Imo palace in Owerri, the state capital, Mr Uzodinma said he came to serve as well as recover the wealth stolen by past administrations in the state.
He has been at loggerheads with Rochas Okorocha, a former governor of the state, despite the duo belonging to the same political party.
Mr Okorocha, now a serving senator, has had some of his landed properties seized by the Uzodinma administration who accused him of embezzling the state’s funds while he held sway as governor.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmaker has pushed back the claim, accusing the governor of witch-hunting him.
“I have come to serve Imo people and not to steal their money,” Uzodinma said. “I have said it time without number that I would like my successor to probe my administration if I leave office.
“If I have any intention of looting Imo common patrimony, I would not have taken some of policies geared towards recovering looted funds from the past administrations.
“Let me make it abundantly clear that I will stop at nothing in recovering all Imo wealth and property forcefully converted to personal ownership by top political leaders in the state.
“In the last couple of weeks, recoveries had been made on stolen lands, buildings and assets, which were fraudulently converted to personal use by the past administration.
“Among the recovered was the former Eastern Palm University which was renamed K. O Mbadiwe University.
“You will agree with me that it was the unveiling of the white paper reports on lands that heightened insecurity in the state. We won’t go back in carrying out the report on the white paper.
“Because we want to restore sanity in governance, we have made frantic efforts to deliver to our campaign promises anchored on Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery.
“Anyone found wanton in the area of stealing or embezzling the people money, will be shown the way out.
“Note that as I recover Imo properties converted to personal ownership by those who have political power, back to Imo people, the same awaits me when I leave office. This is why I want to reiterate before that I did not become governor to be richer than the state after my tenure, but to serve you in truth and with fear of God,” he added.
