Missing N19.63bn probe: Ihedioha’s kinsmen calls for due process

Kinsmen of the former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, have taken a swipe at the style and manner adopted by the Imo state House of Assembly to probe the alleged missing N19.63 billion local government fund.

Ihedioha’s kinsmen who spoke under the aegis of the Coalition of Owerri Zone Social Cultural Organization, insisted that the rule of law and due process must be applied in the entire process for sanity and justice to prevail.

he coalition, which comprises “Olu Owerri, Obiriama Mbaise, Constituency for Owerri Zone, Oke Ovuru Ezue, Ezuruezu Mbaitoli, Ogbako Umu Ngor Okpala, Odinma Mbaise, Nzuko Umu Mbaise and Owerri Youth Assembly”, wondered why a probe of the alleged missing staggering sum of money should be conducted with what it described as “a muddled up Interim Audit Report” when the use of Final Audit Report is the appropriate practice.

Rising from an extra-ordinary emergency meeting held weekend at the “Ime Obi Olu Owerri” where it reviewed current issues in Owerri Zone and the state in general, the coalition in a 3-page communiqué made available to newsmen urged the state house of assembly and all those concerned with the probe to do the needful.

Chief Sampson Ogbo, who read the 11-point communiqué, said that it was funny, ridiculous and untenable for the state government to accuse their brother, who had served with dignity, in the highest office in the land as chief whip, deputy speaker and later speaker of the House of Representatives as well as a governor of the state of fraud, using a deliberately concocted Interim Audit Report that covered January 2019 to 31st December 2019.

It noted that Ihedioha was governor for only 7 months – May 29, 2019 – January 14, 2020 during which the local government areas got a little above N3 billion with which they paid salaries and pensions, paid part of the cost of purchasing road rehabilitation equipment which had been delivered to Governor Uzodinma, in addition to building magnificent office complexes among other projects.

“We know Hon. Ihedioha very well as our son in whom we are well pleased. We believe that he is not afraid of probe as he has already declared hence we urge that the rule of law and due process be followed in the entire process”.

The coalition which expressed shock at the level of impunity, fraud, lies, propaganda and deceit with which the state had been governed in the last five months of Senator Hope Uzodinma led APC administration, regretted that while the Owerri capital city is yet to witness the impact of the new administration unlike what obtained in the fourth month administration of Ihedioha, it expressed sympathy with indigenes in the state especially civil servants, students of both the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and Federal Polytechnic Nekede who it lamented would go back to sufferings over deplorable road networks.

Insisting that the current governorship tenure being used to blackmail and intimidate their son, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is their legitimate right, having supported Orlu and Okigwe zones in the past to govern the state, the coalition enjoined all indigenes of Owerri zone involved in the complicity to have a re-think and retract their steps before it is too late.

While commending the teeming youths and women of Owerri zone who had had to endure the unwarranted provocations and assault against their son and their zone, the group said, “We are alert and vigilant to the activities of the Uzodinma administration and would never standby and watch our son dragged in the most dishonourable manner without justification”.

“The people advised Senator Uzodinma to as a matter of urgency; put the machineries in motion to arrest the looming collapse of government and the already eroded confidence of the people in his government.”