Otti Worried About Abia Government's Silence Over Massive Looting - Anokwuru

Abia State Governor-elect, Alex Otti is said to be worried over the silence of the state government over allegations of massive looting going on in the state.

A close confidant of the Governor-elect, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru made this known while speaking during an interview in Umuahia on Saturday.

He expressed shock that the outgoing administration would look the other way while such criminality would be going on.

He, advised Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to guard against such criminality as they would be held accountable by the incoming administration for any looted Government asset under their watch.

“The Permanent Secretaries and Directors should know that it is their responsibility to protect the properties because these commissioners and aides to the governor are government appointees, who are also leaving on May 29.

“So, failure of heads of these MDAs to act means they will be held responsible to give an account of their inventories,” Anokwuru said.

"It is unthinkable and hard to believe that government can look away and watch its properties being looted”, he added.

According to him,  the government’s failure to either deny, condemn or warm against the alleged criminal act seemed to reinforce the allegation.

“The allegation causes some concern because the government seems to be silent about it and no official statement made countering it.

“But I wouldn’t want to believe that government can allow such to happen, I want to believe that it is a rumour.

“I know there are entitlements, like consumables, cars, which top officials go home with but carting away fixed items and government properties is a crime and unacceptable.”

Rev. Anokwuru warned that Otti’s earlier promise not to engage in probe of his predecessors so as not to be distracted, should not be taken for granted.