A storm of controversy has hit the Ebonyi State Government following damning allegations of financial misappropriation against the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Grace Umezurike.
According to a statement released on Sunday by Sir Nwoba Chika Nwoba, a vocal member of the Concerned Ebonyi Good Governance Advocate group, the SSG is accused of diverting ₦1.5 billion from a ₦4 billion allocation meant for the procurement of rice for Christmas celebrations in 2023.
Nwoba claimed that the rice distribution underperformed significantly in quantity and quality, prompting concerns and a follow-up investigation. “It was discovered that the SSG pocketed ₦1.5 billion for herself, lodging it in various UBA bank accounts bearing her name and that of one Onyeabo Ngene, an aide to Senator David Umahi,” the statement alleged.
He further revealed that while the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had initially invited Umezurike for questioning, Governor Francis Nwifuru reportedly intervened to halt the process. Despite this, the EFCC was said to have obtained a court order from a Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, enabling the agency to seize funds allegedly linked to the scandal.
Attached to the statement were purported images of the court order approving the interim forfeiture of the funds in question.
“This whole heartbreaking episode was meant to be kept discreet,” Nwoba said, accusing the current administration of shielding corrupt officials and undermining accountability. He also called for the immediate arrest, prosecution, and public arraignment of Professor Umezurike and her alleged collaborators.
He added, “Was it even the right thing to do — giving an appointee a ₦4 billion contract? This administration is complicit in shielding looters, and this is just one of many such heists.”
Nwoba also alleged that the SSG recently erected three new storey buildings in different parts of the Ugwuachara axis of Abakaliki, suggesting this may be a product of illicit funds.
The Ebonyi State Government and Professor Umezurike have yet to respond publicly to the allegations at the time of filing this report. Efforts to reach the Office of the SSG were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, public pressure is mounting on anti-graft agencies to act swiftly, with civil society groups and watchdogs calling for transparency, justice, and deterrence in the face of rising concerns about corruption in the state.
