By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke

20- OCT- 2025

The management of Owerri Club, one of Imo State’s oldest and most prestigious social institutions, has raised serious concerns over the illegal sale of Imo State Government property reportedly stored within the club’s premises during the previous administration.

In a strongly worded petition dated October 15, 2025, and addressed to the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, who also serves as the statutory President of Owerri Club, the newly elected management committee disclosed that a solid iron tank stand—originally provided by the state government for the establishment of a mini water scheme—had been unlawfully removed and sold without authorization.

The letter, jointly signed by Ezinwa Onyebuchi Obinwa (Chairman) and Ik Ogbonna (Secretary) of the new management committee, detailed that the missing infrastructure was intended to support a water project designed to improve access to clean water within the club and surrounding community.

According to the committee, the discovery was made during a routine inventory exercise shortly after assuming office. Their findings traced the disappearance of the government-owned equipment to Mr. Charles Okeke, the Chairman of the dissolved management committee, who allegedly sold the property without due process or government approval.

The petition identified the act as a violation of public trust and a possible case of theft or misappropriation of government assets. It urged the governor to direct relevant authorities—particularly the Special Adviser on Monitoring and Compliance and the General Manager of ENTRACO—to launch an immediate investigation, recover the missing item, and prosecute those found culpable.

The management stressed that the alleged act not only jeopardized a vital community development project but also undermined Governor Uzodimma’s ongoing campaign to recover misappropriated state assets and ensure transparency in governance.

“We believe that the unlawful sale of this government property is a breach of both administrative and moral responsibility. It has deprived the community of the benefits of a state-funded water project,” the petition stated.

The committee further requested that:

1. The said Mr. Charles Okeke be arrested and interrogated to determine his involvement in the alleged sale.
2. The missing tank stand or its financial equivalent be recovered to allow for the continuation of the mini water scheme.
3. The government should implement stricter oversight measures to prevent future mismanagement of public property allocated to community-based initiatives.

Reaffirming their loyalty to Governor Uzodimma’s Shared Prosperity Administration, the Owerri Club management committee expressed confidence in the governor’s leadership and unwavering commitment to accountability, good governance, and the protection of public assets.

They concluded by pledging their cooperation with any investigative process and reaffirming the club’s readiness to provide additional documentation or witness testimony to ensure justice is served.

This development follows the Uzodimma administration’s consistent efforts to recover government assets allegedly diverted during previous administrations — a move widely applauded as a step toward restoring integrity in public management across Imo State.