Uzodinma asks former appointees to return official vehicles

Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo, says all former appointees who have government official cars should return them.

In a statement by Oguike Nwachukwu, the chief press secretary to the governor, Uzodinma also directed Charles Orie, the managing director of Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC), to take custody of all such cars. 

The governor further asked Orie to carry out a proper inventory of all official vehicles assigned to his former political appointees.

“This directive affects all former principal officers to the governor, all former commissioners, all special advisers, all general managers of agencies of government, among others,” the statement reads.

“Orie was further urged to ensure that no former political appointee, no matter how highly placed, refuses to surrender his or her official vehicles.

“On January 16, 2024, when governor Uzodimma dissolved his expanded executive council, he had directed that the commissioners should hand over their official vehicles to the permanent secretaries in their ministries while the special advisers should submit their official vehicles at the office of the chief of staff. 

“While some former political appointees complied with the directives, others are yet to do so, raising concerns they may have ulterior motives.

“Poised to ensure that government directives are respected by all and sundry, Governor Uzodimma has mandated Orie to use all means lawful to extract compliance from the former appointees.

“The governor Uzodimma expects Chief Orie to take custody and inventory of the vehicles assigned to them as former appointees.”