The Abia State Government has asserted that the ex parte order obtained by former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, aiming to halt the Judicial Panel of Inquiry established to recover looted government properties, will not stand.
Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Tuesday, restricted Governor Otti and the Abia Panel of Inquiry from investigating the immediate past administration.
The court acting on an ex parte order brought before it by CC. Enuka, counsel to Gabriel Onyendilefu and the others gave an “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 the determination of the Substantive originating motion on notice”.
But the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, while briefing newsmen at Government House Umuahia, described the move as “laughable” and expressed concerns about the former Governor’s attempt to obstruct the panel’s crucial work.
He said that the state’s legal team is determined to challenge the Federal high court Abuja’s order adding that the ex parte order is an unwarranted interference in the state’s affairs.
“An ex parte order was obtained by the former Governor trying to stop the panel of inquiry from looking into activities of his 8 years tenure in office, an action I believe is laughable.
“I believe that if you’re accused of infractions, the best thing to do is to face up to whatever it is to prove yourself innocent but for the former Governor to have shopped around for an order to stop the panel from operating leaves much to be desired.
“Going to Abuja to obtain an ex parte order from the high court is an undue interference into the affairs of the state and I can assure you I don’t think that would stand.
“At the end of the day, our legal team would do the needful to vacate that order. It is not right and it doesn’t show good thinking”, Kanu said.
