From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The Imo State Government said it had recovered about 41 vehicles allegedly stolen from the state-owned transport company, Imo Transport Company (ITC) by the company’s previous managers and officials of last administrations.
The chairman of the management committee of ITC, Ibezim Onyekachi, told journalists yesterday that the vehicles were recovered from Mass Transport Network (MTN) Company, Imo Travels and Tours transport companies owned by former chairman of ITC and others who managed the company in recent past.
According to Him, “We have recovered about 41 vehicles and still counting from people who are with ITC properties. It is a fact that a former chairman here converted a lot of ITC vehicles to establish his own private transport company. Before he became chairman of ITC, he never owned a transport company. But, immediately he became ITC chairman, he became a transporter.
“Also, when he was exiting as the chairman of ITC, a lot of vehicles belonging to ITC went missing from various loading bays across the nation. The question is, what happened to all those vehicles? We later traced some of the vehicles to his private transport company”, he said.
Ibezim noted that part of the mandate given to his management committee by Governor Hope Uzodimma, was to recover both movable and immovable properties of the company.
The chairman of the management committee further disclosed that, “the state government is already in court to get the individuals involved to be prosecuted, despite the fact that some Nigerians think that the safest place for criminals to run to and hide from punishment is the court”.
Apart from the stolen vehicles, Ibezim said that his management is also recovering ITC vehicles that were impounded in Lagos and other states as well as company vehicles that were littered in police stations across the country.