Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has announced the suspension of the general managers, director of accounts and directors-general of six state owned parastatals over alleged financial impropriety.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Okorocha on Media, Samuel Onwuemeodo yesterday said the affected workers were placed on suspension over misappropriation of funds, employment without waiver and other administrative irregularities.

The suspension of the senior staff may have ended several weeks of speculations that the Okorocha administration was planning to sack heads of government parastatals and corporations and replace them with politicians ahead of the 2015 elections.

Speaking on the development,, an activist and lawyer in the state, Emperor Iwuala said, “Imo State government sometime last week set up a panel to probe all the state government parastatals. It is shocking to note that while the panel is yet to commence work this week, the government since yesterday in a radio broadcast, has been announcing the suspension of general managers/directors and  Directors of Accounts of six state parastatals namely Imo Newspaper, Imo Library Board, Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Bureau for Procurement, Imo State Council for Arts and Culture and Imo Water Corporation.”