The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate how over ₦620 billion in local government funds have been utilised since the inception of the Governor Hope Uzodimma administration.
Addressing journalists in Owerri on Thursday, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Lancelot Obiaku, accused the state government of presiding over widespread decay across the 27 local government areas despite consistent federal allocations running into billions of naira.
“The PDP urges the EFCC and ICPC to probe Imo LGA chairmen, who were literally appointed by Governor Hope Uzodimma, to explain the whereabouts of the sums they receive monthly as federal allocations,” Obiaku said. “This is especially critical since there are no visible projects such as schools, markets, roads, electricity projects, or healthcare initiatives across the state.”
According to the opposition party, Imo’s local governments have received staggering monthly allocations between ₦430 million and ₦625 million, depending on the council, yet have no tangible projects to show for the funds. The PDP said Mbaitoli and Isiala Mbano councils received the highest allocations for August 2025 at ₦625 million and ₦577 million, respectively.
The statement further disclosed that in the last three years, Imo’s 27 LGAs collectively received ₦7 billion monthly in 2023, ₦9 billion in 2024, and over ₦13 billion in 2025 from the federation account, yet most rural communities remain abandoned.
“It is astonishing that despite receiving over ₦620 billion under this administration, the local governments have nothing to show. Health centres are now homes to rodents and reptiles, while public schools in several communities have shut down,” the party lamented.
The PDP also accused the appointed council chairmen of operating “illegal accounts” and colluding with the state government to “plunder the commonwealth of the people.”
“The EFCC chairman had earlier stated in February that local government chairpersons are not immune from investigation and prosecution for fraudulent acts. We call on the anti-graft agencies to act now,” Obiaku emphasised.
He applauded the establishment of the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control (FRAC) Department in the EFCC, urging the commission to deploy its officers to Imo to monitor the inflow and utilisation of local government funds.
The party decried the deplorable condition of infrastructure across the state, alleging that roads leading to several local government headquarters have become impassable, with some communities “rendered uninhabitable due to poor access.”
“The local government system in Imo State has collapsed completely under Governor Uzodimma’s administration. The LGAs, which are supposed to be the closest tier of government to the people, have been reduced to mere political offices with no developmental impact,” Obiaku added.
