Available information indicates the former Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu appears unsettled by the recent establishment of a judicial panel of inquiry on the recovery of government properties and funds belonging to Abia State.
Reacting, the former Governor turned towards the courts in search for an order to halt panel of inquiry. He approached the Federal High Court in Abuja for an ex parte order. The justices of the federal high court refused to issue the ex parte order. The court refused to issue the order on two occasions.
According to available information, the two attempts failed owing to Ikpeazu’s inability to put the state government on notice as directed by the courts. A source who claims to be conversant with the efforts by Ikpeazu to halt the panel of inquiry from executing its duties explained how the former governor went about it.
According to the source:
“Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, the immediate past Governor of Abia State, 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 and same was assigned to his Lordship Hon. 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 2 (two) days to put the respondents on notice. He once again quickly withdrew the suit
“It is obvious that by withdrawing both suits and also refusing to put the Abia State Government on notice as directed by the court, it is clear that this is 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.”
Another source close to the current State Government in Abia State adds, “it on good authority that Ikpeazu is shopping for another court that would possibly give him the order to stop the probe”.
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