Despite purported court injunction, probe of Ikpeazu’s administration begins in Abia
By Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Despite the court injunction purportedly procured by the immediate-past Governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the Judicial
Panel of Enquiry set up by Governor Alex Otti to investigate the eight-year tenure of the former Governor, Tuesday, began sitting in Umuahia.
Responding to an inquiry by newsmen, the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe, said that the panel did not receive any court injunction restraining it from discharging its assignment.
Recall that Gov. Otti had while responding to the purported court injunction, said the state was yet to be served, adding that even if there was any injunction procured, the State Government would appeal it.
Otti who then spoke through his Media Adviser, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that nobody should stop a legitimate Government from carrying out its duties.
Ikpeazu had about two weeks ago, rushed to an Abuja High Court where he purportedly procured the said injunction restraining the State Government from probing him and those that served under his administration.
The said injunction was coming barely a month after the State Government had raised an alarm that Ikpeazu was shopping for an injunction to stop his probe.
Ikengaonline had reported that Otti had on June 27, inaugurated the Judicial Panel of Enquiry on the Recovery of Government Properties, Funds and Related Matters.
The Governor gave the panel the mandate to recover every looted property of the state from 2015 to May 2023.
Otti had also during his inaugural speech promised to recover every looted public fund in the state.
In her speech at the inaugural sitting of the Panel, the Chairman, Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe (rtd), vowed that the panel would in strict adherence to its terms of reference, go after proven looters.
Justice Duruoha-Igwe, promised that the panel would live up to expectations.
She also explained that the panel was not set up for witch hunt of anybody, promising to be fair to all.
“It is important to mention that this Panel of Enquiry, though quasi-judicial in nature, is not a court properly so called,” she said, adding that the panel was neither engaging in inquisition nor witch-hunt of anybody.
“Nobody is on trial, rather, we are here to find out what happened to the funds and properties(movable and immovable) of Abia State between May 2015 and May 2023.
” We shall exercise all the powers with regard to obtaining evidence and conduct of the proceedings”.
Speaking at the event, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, decried the high level of looting during the immediate-past administration in the state.
He said that Government would punish anyone involved in the looting spree that occured during the period under investigation.
The Attorney General, urged the panel to be thorough and firm in conducting the investigation, insisting that public servants must be held accountable for their actions.
Uwanna solicited the cooperation of Abia people through volunteering of credible information that could be of any assistance to the panel.
“The work is for all of us,” he said, adding that the panel should stick to the deadline and complete its assignment so that the government can face other issues.
In a remark, the Chairman of Umuahia branch of the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA), Mr Jasper Ejiomofor, decried massive looting witnessed in the state in the past.
He commended Otti for the courage to investigate the activities of his predecessor but wished the probe were not limited to 2015.
The NBA boss claimed that some of the looting that put Abia on the reverse gear occurred before the last administration.
According to him, “NBA will be happy and Abia people will be happy if the period for the investigation were extended backwards”.
Recall that an investigative report earlier published by Ikengaonline at the eve of Ikpeazu’s exit, exposed poor performance by his administration.
