A pressure group, the South East Good Governance Advocates (SEGGA), has reprimanded supporters of the Abia state governor, Dr. Alex Otti, urging them to cease their baseless attacks on former governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
The group in a statement signed by the Coordinator, Mark Onukwuwe, and the Secretary, Anozie Madu, made the call in response to a social media report claiming that a High Court in Abia state had sentenced Dr. Ikpeazu to death for embezzling over N5 trillion meant for airport and light railway construction.
The statement continued, “For the sake of clarity, it is pertinent to note that there is no judicial officer by the name Emeka Nwogu serving in the Abia state judiciary, which raises significant doubts about the authenticity of the alleged Court Judgment.
“Furthermore, Nigerian jurisprudence does not classify corruption offences as capital crimes warranting the death penalty.
“This claim appears to be an egregious fabrication, likely propagated by social media operatives seeking to besmirch the reputation of the esteemed Abia State Judiciary”.
“This report is not only entirely fabricated but also a blatant attempt to distract the public from the glaring failures of the current administration.”
The group emphasised that Abia state did not attract up to N1 trillion in revenue during Ikeazu’s eight-year tenure, making the N5 trillion embezzlement claim unfounded.
“A simple arithmetic calculation reveals the absurdity of the claims against Dr. Ikpeazu. If Abia state were to attract N4 billion monthly, that would amount to N48 billion annually, and N480 billion over ten years.
“Where is the evidence to support the claim of N5 trillion in embezzlement? We challenge Governor Otti and his supporters to produce credible documentation. This fictitious report is a clear example of reckless journalism and malicious prosecution.
SEGGA called on Governor Otti and his supporters to focus on addressing the challenges facing Abia State rather than engaging in baseless attacks on their predecessors.
