The Concerned Ebonyi Good Governance Advocate, Sir Nwoba Chika, has accused the Secretary to Ebonyi State Government, Professor Grace Umezurike of diverting the sum of N1.5 billion.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Mr Nwoba alleged that Professor Umezurike was given N4 billion by the Ebonyi State Government to procure bags of rice in 2023 for Christmas celebration across the state but the rice presented by the SSG fell short of what N4 billion could buy.
He alleged that “subsequent investigation was launched to unravel the game played by the SSG. It was discovered that the SSG pocketed N1.5 billion for herself, lodging it in different UBA bank accounts bearing her name and an aide of Sen. David Umahi, Onyeabo Ngene.”
The statement reads in full,
” This is to bring to the notice of the Ebonyi people and the general public the financial malfeasance going on in the current Government of Ebonyi State, the immediate one being the case of diversion of the sum of N1.5 billion by the secretary to the government of Ebonyi State, Professor Grace Umezurike.
Professor Umezurike was given N4 billion by the Ebonyi State Government to procure bags of rice in 2023 for Christmas celebration across the state in 2023. Unfortunately, the rice presented by the SSG fell short of what N4 billion could buy.
“Subsequent investigation was launched to unravel the game played by the SSG. It was discovered that the SSG pocketed N1.5 billion for herself, lodging it in different UBA bank accounts bearing her name and an aide of Sen. David Umahi, Onyeabo Ngene.
The Economic & Financial Crimes Commission invited her for questioning, but was soon blocked by Gov. Nwifuru for reasons not far from not exposing the disturbing quantity of corruption going on in his government.
But soon, the EFCC on its own went and obtained a court order from an Uyo, Akwa Ibom State- based Federal High Court to gain forfeiture of the said amount of money lying dormant in the SSG’s bank accounts.
According to him, the money was clearly traced to the botched Christmas rice procurement exercise.
He cited an order of the court granting the request of the EFCC to recover the loot as grounds to demand accountability from.
“This whole heartbreaking episode was meant to be kept discreet to further give inspiration to the SSG and her acolytes in the looting spree going on in the current Ebonyi State Government. So, I extracted it and decided to bring notice of members of the public to it.
This is almost the smallest of such heists going on in the government which the governor, Francis Nwifuru is chiefly complicit in by always shielding the looters anytime they’re caught in the act. Was it even the right thing to do giving an appointee of the government a contract, let alone to the tune of N4 billion?”
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“As a concerned Ebonyi child and a stakeholder in the contemporary Ebonyi project in my own right, I’m lending my voice to the call that the EFCC should arrest, arraign and secure a judgment against this depraved public office holder-SSG.
It’s noteworthy that this same SSG recently built three storey buildings in three places at the Ugwuachara axis of Abakaliki. This was the same woman who got her PhD around 2017 and by 2023 she became a Professor of Philosophy at the Ebonyi State University.
Everything about her seems to be shrouded in corruption and this goes a long mile to mean that Gov. Nwifuru assembled the worst team to help him wreck the ship of Ebonyi State. Concluding, I am urging the EFCC to expedite action in arraigning this SSG and use her to set deterrence for accountability in Ebonyi State.
At the same vein, her accomplices should be brought to reprimand as she may not have carried out the heist alone. This is important moreover as the document indicting her undisputably is in the public background already. ”
Signed:
Sir Chika Nwoba, KSC,
Concerned Ebonyi Good Governance Advocate.
