A former Governor of Imo State and the Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Rochas Okorocha, has revealed how he calmed down the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) agitators during his tenure.
Okorocha who featured on Channels Television Program, ‘Sunday Politics’ said, he offered the agitators a whooping sum of N500 million to remain calm.
In his details, the Senator said IPOB was very popular during his time as governor, and from what he saw the last time the group came to Imo State for demonstration, the members of IPOB are mostly tricycle riders, mechanics, traders; people who believe that things are not going well in the country.
Okorocha who maintained that the agitators were not foreigners but sons and daughters of the land, revealed that he had to engage the IPOB agitators when there was serious security challenge in the Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema area of the state.
He said the move made most of them to turn in their weapons and uniforms and in return, he engaged them in Imo Security Network and was paying them N15,000 – N20,000 per month.
Okorocha further gave the youths of Oguta and Ohaji/Egbema who were operating under the umbrella of IPOB agitation the sum of N250 million on two occasions, making it a total of N500 million which led to the restoration of calmness in the whole area and Imo State at large.
Okorocha said, Imo State witnessed a lot of real estate investment, as well as other business investments following the success achieved in restoring peace in the state.
The senator while reacting to his alleged use of State funds to acquire personal properties during his tenure as a governor, challenged anyone who can prove that he acquired any property with any government fund, to kindly come forward with such evidence.