THE quite life, which the immediate past Governor of Enugu State,
Sullivan Chime had vowed to live after the demands of his previous
office may soon be interrupted should the Federal High Court, Enugu
grant an application seeking an order to compel the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe him.
The suit which was brought pursuant to order 34 and 56 (1) of the
Federal High Court rules 2009, the EFCC act and the Freedom of
Information Act, followed the failure of the anti-graft agency to act on
a petition by the former National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Mr. Ray Nnaji.
Nnaji had last month petitioned the EFCC and alleged several official
corruptions to include embezzlement, stealing, misappropriation,
forgery and criminal conversion of public property against Chime when he
was governor between 2007-2015.
The court, presided over by Justice D.V Agishi had on July 2, granted
Nnaji leave to file the application in which he joined the Code of
Conduct Bureau, Chime and his brother, Jide, the Revenue Mobilization
and Fiscal Commission, as well as Chime’s former Chief of staff, Mrs.
Ifeoma Nwobodo.
Others are former Managing Director of the State Housing Corporation
who is now State Chairman of the PDP, Ikeje Asogwa, former Commissioner
for Lands and member representing Nkanu East/West, Chukwuemeka Ujam,
Mrs. May Oji, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice as well as the state Attorney-General.
Nnaji told reporters that there was no going back on the prosecution
of the former governor and others that worked with him to make them
account for their stewardship. “I told you people that I am going to
go to court if nothing happened after two weeks. I have kept faith with
my promise.
I had filed motion on the 5th June for leave to compel the EFCC to do
their work. So the process in the judicial review is that first of all,
you must seek the leave of the court before you file the main action. I
sought the leave and on the 2nd July, the leave was granted,” he said.
He stated that he had gone to the office of the EFCC following their
invitation where he adopted his petition, adding that he had applied
that the commission consolidate the petitions against Chime and Mrs.
Nwobodo. “I will be very happy to see Sullivan and Nwobodo
prosecuted, if the two of them are prosecuted, other people in the
leadership position will be very careful and know how to handle public
funds.
I don’t know why EFCC is lukewarm over this issue. They were making
me to believe that they have started action but till now nothing has
been done about my petitions. That is why we must prosecute the matter
in court,” Nnaji said.
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