In a bold move, Moses Idika, a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, has called for an immediate investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the alleged involvement of several government officials in a contract racketeering scandal. This appeal comes after the recent arrest of six commissioners and contractors in the state, following an order from Governor Francis Nwifuru.
Idika made the urgent request in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, asserting that a thorough investigation would help protect the state from further embarrassment and financial mismanagement. He also urged other anti-graft bodies, including the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), to join the probe and investigate any other officials potentially violating Ebonyi’s procurement laws.
The scandal erupted after reports indicated that six commissioners were arrested for allegedly sabotaging government projects in the state. The affected officials include Prof. Omari Omaka (Tertiary Education), Victor Chukwu (Environment), Ifeanyi Ogbuewu (Culture and Tourism), Uchenna Igwe (Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters), Dr. Moses Ekuma (Health), and Felix Igboke (Project Monitoring), along with the Chairman of Afikpo Local Government Area, Timothy Nwachi.
Reacting to the developments, Idika expressed concern about the situation, calling it an “unfortunate eye-opener” into the reasons for the state’s stagnation over the past two years. He further criticized the state’s leadership for potentially undermining governance. “Many residents felt it was a government-sponsored ‘April Fool’ prank when the news filtered into town on April 1,” Idika said, referring to the controversy surrounding the arrests.
Idika emphasized that the actions of the commissioners were in direct violation of the Ebonyi State Public Procurement and Related Matters Law No. 016 of 2020, which prohibits public officials from engaging in procurement processes that create conflicts of interest and invite corruption.
The PDP chieftain called for immediate action from security and anti-graft agencies, urging them to not only investigate the arrested commissioners but to also identify any other government officials involved in similar contract racketeering. He warned the Ebonyi State Government, led by Governor Nwifuru, against turning governance into a “bazaar” for political allies and family members, declaring, “Enough is Enough! Ebonyi public resources should not be used to build private business empires!”
With the investigation now a hot topic in the state, all eyes are on the EFCC and other anti-corruption agencies to see if they will take swift and decisive action to root out corruption and restore integrity to Ebonyi’s governance.
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