Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Governor Alex Otti has vowed that Abia State Government would resist any move to stop the on-going probe of the administration of his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
Otti spoke on the heels of a purported court injunction by Ikpeazu restraining the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Recovery of Government Properties and Funds inaugurated by Otti from investigating him as well as officials who served under his administration.
Justice E. Okpe of Abuja Federal High Court granted the injunction after an application for an ex parte motion was brought before him by Mr C. Enuka, Counsel to Ikpeazu and three others.
Reacting to the alleged injunction, Otti said he was not yet aware of it, nor would he ever lose sleep over it because he knew how to deal with it.
The Governor who spoke through his Media Adviser, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that even if Ikpeazu had truly procured an injunction, he would not escape justice because the State Government would challenge such injunction in court.
“We have not confirmed the authenticity of any court injunction by the immediate- past Governor.
“But even if he has obtained any injunction, we will challenge it at the court because no legitimate Government can be stopped from probing someone who was suspected to have indulged in any act of illegality or financial malfeasance against the state.
“If he has obtained any injunction, Government is confident that once that is challenged the court of law will definitely vacate such injunction. So, we are not bothered.”
Meanwhile, the injunction obtained by Ikpeazu read in part: “Order of interim injunction restraining the Respondents…from inviting, summoning, interrogating, harassing, intimidating, arresting, detaining, seizing, any property belonging to the Applicants or otherwise dealing adversely in any manner with the Applicants, their children, any member of their families or any other person connected to the Applicants insofar as it relates to the Applicant’s tenure as public officers in the Abia State Government between 2015 – 2023, pending determination of the substantive Originating Motion on Notice.”
Similarly, the court “granted for departure from Order 43 Rule 3 (2) of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory (civil procedure) Rule 2018 directing that the interim orders granted herein shall not lapse until the hearing and determination of the Applicant’s substantive originating motion on notice.”
Meanwhile, the matter was adjourned to August 15, 2023, for hearing of the substantive suit.
Ikengaonline had reported that Gov. Otti had penultimate week, raised the alarm that the immediate-past Governor was shopping for an injunction to halt his on-going probe.
Gov. Otti had on June 27, 2023, set up a Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Government Properties and Funds.
The panel was headed by Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe ( rtd.).
It was alleged that there was mass looting of Government property and assets especially at the twilight of Ikpeazu’s exit.
