Investigate looting of water installations in Imo community – RULAAC tells Uzodinma, NSCDC

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) on Monday called on the Imo State Government and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to order an immediate investigation into the vandalisation and looting of installed government water project equipment in Adakam Amumara autonomous community in the Ezinihitte Mbaise.

The group in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma and made available to Newspot, called on NSCDC and Imo State Government led by Governor Hope Uzodinma to investigate the incident and ensure that perpetrators were identified, fished out and prosecuted.

The statement reads, “Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has received information from the Chairman-General of Umuokpo village in Adakam Amumara autonomous community, Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA, Imo State, Chief Oscar Uzodinma Albert.

“We hereby write on his authority and on behalf of the village council, to call the attention of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Imo State Command, to urgently wade in and investigate the shocking incident of the vandalization and looting of gigantic water project installations in their village by suspected vandals. ”

“The vandals stated that the previous governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, allegedly sold the multibillion-naira worth of installed equipment to them, adding that the petition is in keeping with the NSCDC’s legal obligation, together with the Nigerian police, to safeguard public infrastructure.

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The statement further reads,” RULAAC is informed that the water project at Umuokpo village is one of the greater Owerri, Umuahia, Okigwe and Aba Water Schemes started by the then Governor of old Imo State Dr. Sam Onunaka Mbakwe in the 1980s which he could not complete before the Muhammadu Buhari coup which terminated the life of the republic.

“Jim Nwobodo also started the greater Enugu, Awka, Onitsha, Abakaliki, and Nsukka Water Schemes but could not complete them before he lost power to late Chief Christian Onoh in the 1983 election. Today, most of those water schemes are yet to be completed, thus exacerbating the problem of acute water shortages in the zone.

“This gigantic water project, initiated at a huge financial cost, was intended to provide pipe-borne water to Mbaise and parts of Obowo. The project contains heavy and multi-billion-naira equipment that could not be dismantled and evacuated in one week.”