The Abia State government says it has no interest in the persecution of any citizen, no matter how highly or lowly placed, as it has nothing to derive from doing so.
The government also added that it’s much more when it’s preoccupied with the task of providing governance to Abians and making the state a peaceful abode for all citizens.
The Abia government gave the statement in a press release and made available on Friday in response to calls by some Abians concerning the fate of some Civil Servants arrested recently over their involvement in alleged pension fraud.
The government said some of the commentators/writers have genuinely appealed for leniency or forgiveness for the accused and others with ulterior motives have intentionally, as they did from the beginning of the case, resorted to blackmail and sectional incitement against the government.
The government also positioned that they are not “Perturbed by the distortions and disinformation geared towards obfuscating the merit of the case on the altar of petty politics, and sectional considerations, it feels constrained to once again disabuse the minds of unsuspecting members of the public by putting the records straight”.
Read full statement below 👇
GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE ON THE TRIAL OF SOME ABIANS ARRESTED FOR PENSION FRAUD
The attention of the Abia State Government has been drawn to some statements, releases, and articles concerning the fate of some Civil Servants arrested recently over their involvement in alleged pension fraud.
While some of the commentators/writers have genuinely appealed for leniency or forgiveness for the accused, others with ulterior motives have intentionally, as they did from the beginning of the case, resorted to blackmail and sectional incitement against the government.
While the government is not perturbed by the distortions and disinformation geared towards obfuscating the merit of the case on the altar of petty politics, and sectional considerations, it feels constrained to once again disabuse the minds of unsuspecting members of the public by putting the records straight.
- The government has no interest in the persecution of any citizen, no matter how highly or lowly placed, as it has nothing to derive from doing so, much more when it’s preoccupied with the task of providing governance to Abians and making the state a peaceful abode for all citizens.
- The accused were arrested, detained, and properly arraigned before a court of law where their plea were taken, application for bail heard and date reserved for ruling on the application for bail.
- Contrary to the false claims that had been made that the recent strike embarked upon by JUSUN affected their case, it’s important to clarify that the matter is being heard by a Federal High Court, because pension fraud is a Federal offence, so the JUSUN strike did not affect the matter.
- While the government is both responsible and compassionate enough to carry out punishment with human face, it’s important to note that the victims of the alleged fraud are also innocent Abians who deserve to be protected, and not be made to look unimportant because they may not have politicians pursuing their matter.
- Having been maliciously accused of persecuting the accused in the face of a very serious matter that shouldn’t be trivialised, government will while protecting the rights of the accused, prefer that they be given the opportunity to prove their innocence in court.
- Government has not and does not intend to violate the rights of any of the accused, hence their lawyers reserve the right to apply for bail on health grounds where it is established that any of the accused is sick.
Ferdinand Ekeoma
Special Adviser to the Governor
(Media and Publicity)
February 07, 2025.
BACKGROUND
The Abia State Government has charged three people with stealing pension funds worth over N50 million.
The civil servants are Success Nwabueze, Miriam Azubuike and Victor Chisom Samuel.
According to court documents in the public domain, the charges were filed against the civil servants at the Federal High Court Umuahia on Monday.
Security operatives arrested the civil servants earlier in November on the orders of Governor Alex Otti of Abia State.
The civil servants face a six-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful transaction and receipt of funds, tampering, criminal intent to defraud, misappropriation, interception and diversion of pension funds, and breaking into pension data.
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