From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Moses Idika has called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Breau (CCB) to investigate some government officials handling projects in the state.
Some commissioners and other government officials in the state were given contracts by the state government to execute.
Idika who picked hole on the action of the government, argued that it was a direct affront on the state Public Procurement and Related Matters Law No. 016 of 2020 which expressly bars public official from engaging in such procurement processes.
“Recent developments in Ebonyi State has become worrisome to the point that all Ebonyians must now come together to save the state from ruin.
“The revelation from the Government House Abakaliki on Tuesday April 1, 2025 over the purported arrest of six commissioners of Governor Ogbonna Nwifuru is an unfortunate eye-opener on why the state has suddenly regressed into the abyss of stagnation in the last two years.
“The scenario is a direct affront on the Ebonyi State Public Procurement and Related Matters Law No. 016 of 2020 which expressly provides bars public official from engaging in such procurement processes as it poses serious conflict of interest and predisposes such public officials to engaging corrupt practices.
“The law in section Section 68 subsection 1-13 clearly bars public officials including commissioners from such acts. Similar laws applies to cabinet members as well as other government functionaries in all the states of the federation and at the federal level.
“Based on the foregoing, it has become imperative to invite, not just security agencies, but anti-graft agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Tribunal (ICPC) to immediately take in the indicted commissioners and also fish out other government officials that may be involved in similar contract racketeering and flagrant violation of Ebonyi State procurement laws.
“It is also instructive that we remind Ebonyi State Government led by Governor Ogbonna Nwifuru that governance should not be turned to a bazaar to settle political acolytes, family members and cronies.
Enough is Enough! Ebonyi public resources should not be used to build private business empires”, he said.