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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Government has accused the immediate past Governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of underground shopping for court order to stop the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Government Properties and Funds belonging to Abia State, from working.
A release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kazie Uko said, “Unfortunately for Ikpeazu, every effort to surreptitiously obtain an order of the court against the panel has failed.
“Twice, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) former Governor had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja for ex parte order to restrain the Judicial Panel, from doing its work, but on the two occasions he was rebuffed by the courts.
“The two attempts were rejected because he failed to put the state government on notice as directed by the courts”.
The release quoting a source it said was conversant with details of the two futile moves by Ikpeazu said the former Governor had instituted Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/907/2023 DR. OKEZIE IKPEAZU & 3 ORS VS GOVERNOR OF ABIA STATE & 8 ORS in the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, which was assigned to Justice Omotosho J.
“In that suit, Dr. Ikpeazu sought (by way of an Ex-Parte application) to secure an Ex-Parte order to restrain a Judicial Panel of Enquiry set up by the Government of Abia State to recover government properties and funds. His Lordship Hon. Justice Omotosho J. refused the Ex-Parte application insisting that the respondents be put on notice.
“He immediately withdrew the suit and filed a fresh one FHC/ABJ/CS/945/2023 Ikpeazu Vs INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (IGP) & 8 ORS which was assigned to His Lordship Hon. Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who, also refused the Ex-Parte application to restrain the proceedings of the panel and gave the Claimant two days to put the respondents on notice. He once again quickly withdrew the suit”
Government said by withdrawing both suits and also refusing to put the Abia State Government on notice as directed by the court, it was clear this was a “subterranean exercise and patent manifestation of bad faith and a desperate attempt to use the court as a shield for the alleged criminal activities of his administration in Abia State.”
The Government said it has it on good authority that Ikpeazu is shopping for another court that would possibly give him the order to stop the probe.
