Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has tasked members of the newly inaugurated Interim Management Committee of Imo State Transport Corporation (ITC) to go after all the stolen assets of the company, recover them from wherever they are found and whoever that is with them.

He also directed the members to recover all lands belonging to ITC that are within and outside Imo State, including all the parks  belonging to ITC that are spread in the 36 States of the federation and FCT.

Performing the inauguration ceremony at the Imo State Executive Council Chambers Government House Owerri, Tuesday, Governor Uzodimma further enjoined the committee to recover and rehabilitate all abandoned structures owned by ITC anywhere they are located.

The governor encouraged the committee to take a critical look at the ITC nominal roll, “retire all the criminals among them, remove the fraudulent individuals there and restore the past glory for which ITC is made.”

The eight-member Committee who were inaugurated by the governor include: Mr. Onyekachi Ibezim (Chairman), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kazeem Adefisoye, Mr. Chibuzor Nwoke, Chief Emmanuel Ndukwe, Mr. Nwogu Emeka Mathew, Mr. Kenneth Nwachukwu, Princess Chioma Okafor and Mr. Vitalis Ugochukwu.

The Governor emphasized that the goal set for the comittee has become expedient because “most of the past managers of the company went there, enriched themselves, impoverished the company and established parallel companies using the assets and finances of ITC.”

The attitude, he regretted, made ITC which once was found everywhere in Nigeria blossoming as a going concern to crumble, a situation that destroyed and diminished the lofty vision of late Dee Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe, the first civilian Governor of old Imo State.

‘’It is time to recover ITC,’’ Governor Uzodimma pointed out, reiterating that the 3R-matra of his administration – reconstruction, rehabilitation and recovery – must apply to the state’s mismanaged transport company.  

He therefore warned the Committee members to align themselves with his administration’s vision, the reason he said they were chosen for the job.

Responding on behalf of his other Committee members, the Chairman, Mr. Ibezim acknowledged there ability to accomplish the enormous responsibilities placed on their shoulders by the governor.

He reassured that they will not only achieve the goals set for them by the governor, but will in addition use their position to ensure that revenue is generated for the State Government.

Ibezim pledged team work by the committee members, reassuring that they will not disappoint the Governor and the people of Imo State.

The inauguration was witnessed by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Placid Njoku, the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins, his deputy, Amara Iwuanyanwu and members of the expanded executive council.