The Labour Party (LP) led government of Abia State has accused the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, of shopping for court orders to stop the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Government Properties and Funds belonging to Abia State setup by the incumbent governor, Dr. Alex Otti from carrying out its duties.
The state government in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr. Kazie Uko, on Friday accused the former governor of a failed attempt to procure an ex-parte order from an Abuja High Court to restrain the judicial panel from doing its work.
Uko wrote “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.
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“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.
“We have it on good authority that Ikpeazu is shopping for another court that would possibly give him the order to stop the probe.”
The former Abia governor was yet to react to the allegations.