Court Orders EFCC To Probe Abia LG’s Funds From 2019 to 2023
Abuja – Justice Bello Kawu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the utilization of funds allocated to 17 local government areas (LGAs) in Abia State from 2019 to 2023. The court issued the order following an ex-parte application by Chidiebere Ojukwu, an activist and Abia State indigene advocating for transparency and accountability in public finance management.
The case, marked FCT/HC/CV/4961/2024, names four defendants:
1. Rt. Hon. Prince Christopher Enweremadu, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
2. Erondu Uchenna Erondu, a former aide to the immediate past governor.
3. Deaconess Joy Nwanju, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
4. The EFCC.
Justice Kawu ordered the EFCC to submit a certified true copy (CTC) of its investigation report or provide detailed findings on the allocated funds within the four-year period. Additionally, the court:
• Ordered the seizure of the international passports of the three former Abia officials.
• Directed the defendants to declare their interests in companies, file necessary documentation, and submit the following within 48 hours:
• Memorandum and Articles of Association of companies they are affiliated with.
• Evidence of filing annual returns with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
• Audited financial statements from 2019 to 2023.
• Individual tax clearance certificates for the same period.
• Domestic and foreign bank account details.
• Lists of properties, both developed and undeveloped, within and outside Nigeria.
Justice Kawu approved an abridged timeline for hearing the case, adjourning proceedings to December 9, 2024, and mandating service of all processes on the EFCC.
In an 18-paragraph affidavit supporting the suit, Ojukwu claimed that over N5 billion was allocated to the 17 LGAs through the Federation Account and the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) between 2019 and 2023. However, during this period:
• No elections were conducted for legislative seats in the LGAs.
• The state operated with transition chairmen, an arrangement not recognized by the Nigerian Constitution.
• The funds were allegedly controlled by the three named defendants under the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters.
Ojukwu urged the court to order the EFCC to prosecute the first three defendants based on their roles in managing the LGA funds.
This case underscores the increasing demand for accountability in public fund management in Nigeria. With the EFCC now mandated to probe the disbursement and use of funds, stakeholders in Abia State and across the nation will closely monitor developments in this pivotal case.
