Unabated Alleged Stealing of Govt Property In Abia Newspapers, Barely 24hrs After Gov Otti’s Warning

Barely 24hrs after the inauguration of Dr Alex Chioma Otti (OFR), as the Executive Governor of Abia State, unauthorized selling of Abia Government property has remained unabatted.

Information gathered revealed that some staff of Abia Newspapers and Publishing Corporation (ANPC), Publishers of National Ambassador Newspapers have colluded with their Substantive General Manager, Mr Godwin Okeagu to allegedly steal and sell off their 300 KVA and 250 KVA generating sets.

A staff of the corporation who pleaded anonymity with our reporter disclosed that the 250 KVA Perkins diesel generating set was earlier sold and evacuated without any form of approval from relevant government authorities before the inauguration of Gov. Alex Otti and it took the intervention of the Abia State Head of Service (HOS), Sir Onyii Wamah, to stop the immediate evacuation of the second one (300KVA).

The staff noted that on May 8, 2023, the State HOS had on a tip-off, rushed into ANPC premises where he met the alleged buyer, with the Deputy General Manager (DGM), Mr. John Ikechukwu Okeke, Mr. Eze Chimchetam among others and cautioned them on the illegal act.

He charged the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Mr Okechukwu Ariwodo, not to allow anyone to carry the remaining 300KVA Gen Set or any other Government Property from the premises, while insisting that the 250KVA already removed should be returned, maintaining that if they do otherwise, would face the full weight of the law.

The staff expressed shock that in spite of the warning of Gov. Alex Otti on corruption and stealing of Government property by Public and Civil Servants, they have sold and carried away the remaining 300 KVA generating set.

In the staff words: “We, the staff reported to work this morning as instructed by the newly sworn-in Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, only to find out that the remaining 300KVA Gen Set, Television (TV) set, among other property of the corporation have been removed barely 24 hours after Gov. Otti’s inauguration and warning on public property stealing”.

Our respondent further revealed that the Substantial General Manager, Mr Godwin Okeagu with his Deputy General Manager, MR John Okeke; the Ag. Head of Department (HOD) Administration, Mrs Nkiruka Okoronye; the Ag. Head of Commercials, Mrs. Mary Ehumadu; Head of Sports Desk , Mr Chimchetam Eze; the Chief Security Officer, (CSO), Mr. Okechukwu Ariwodo, among others colluded in the unauthorized selling and evacuation of the Generating sets against the earlier instruction of the Abia State HOS.Picture of where the generators were kept before the alleged stealing by staff of Abia newspapers.

Some staff of the corporation who do not want their names on print also called on Gov. Otti to intervene and stop further stealing and sales of the corporation’s property which has stunted the media outfit over the years.

Gov. Otti had in his inaugural speech stated: “We will not tolerate any form of corruption or stealing of public property”.