Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha is not under probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or any other agency, his administration said this afternoon. It was reacting to the lead cover story of the latest edition of the Abuja-based Verbatim news magazine entitled ‘ROCHAS IN TROUBLE’ with the riders ‘EFCC probes N26 billion expenditure…. Plot to remove Deputy thickens’.

A statement issued in Owerri by Okorocha’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, a copy of which was made available to News Express said the state government “had gone through the 12 pages story and discovered that the authors decided, for reasons best known to them to repackage perforated stories that had been told since March 2013 and treated accordingly.

“We have also made contacts with the officers of the EFCC who could be in the know, to find out if the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha is at the moment under any probe over N26 Billion Expenditure, and our finding was in the negative.”

According to the statement, “The EFCC or any other agency is not probing the Imo State Governor over N26 Billion Expenditure from the state treasury.

“The authors of the story did not state the items on which the said N26 Billion expenditure was made for which the EFCC is allegedly probing the governor.

“The writers of the story made reference to the petition written by the former leadership of ALGON in the state dated March 11, 2013, which is an indication that the Verbatim team only succeeded in creating a story, that never existed.

“The writers of the story concerning the governor of a state on such a sensitive issue never deemed it necessary to hear from any of the governor’s aides including the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media who is a long-time friend of the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, Mr. Tobs Agbaegbu. Instead, the writers preferred to talk with the Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, who should not have been contacted on such issue in the first place. No EFCC official was also interviewed on that.

“It is also important to state categorically that the Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere, is not under any threat of removal, talk more, the plot to remove him thickening as reported by the magazine.

“Again, while the writers of the story deemed it necessary to interview a top PDP politician in the state, Chief Zeek Martins Nnadozie, on the issue they never deemed it appropriate to extend the same gesture to any of the governor’s aides or appointees. That action alone speaks volume. The principle of fair hearing was submerged by those behind the story for reasons also best known to them.”

The statement urged “men and women of goodwill to disregard the story because it has no iota of truth.”

•Photo shows Governor Okorocha.