Chairman of Abia State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the recovery of government properties and funds, Justice Florence Duroha-Igwe (Rtd) has expressed displeasure over the attitude of some security agencies.
Justice Duroha-Igwe, who stated this during the panel proceedings in Umuahia, said that she issued a bench warrant on Director of Finance, Abia State Housing and Property Development Commission, Mr Goodluck Nwagbara, who disobeyed the panel’s order.
But according to him, the Nigeria Police allegedly demanded to be mobilized before carrying out the duty.
Justice Duruoha-Igwe wondered why the police or any other security agency would demand to be paid mobilization fee before carrying out their duties.
“I Issued a bench warrant and the police said I should come and mobilize them”, Justice Duruoha-Igwe frowned.
But speaking under cross examination by a counsel to the panel on the directive given to him to submit the audit details of monthly subventions expenditure of his office to the Panel between May 2025 to May 2023, Nwagbara said that the agency received clearance from the Auditor General of Abia State before payment of salaries, in addition to overhead running cost of the agency.
According to him, only junior staff were paid overtime allowance, while staff at the grade level of 15 and above were professionals and were not entitled to overtime allowances
Also in the same vein, a counsel to the panel, Mrs Inemesit Obiekweihe further cross examined Mr Felix Nkoro and Director of lands, ministry of lands and housing, Mr Augustine Uche-Ibe to ascertain the original owner of Abia State Specialist Hospital, Aba, located at Umueze Layout.
In his submission, Nkoro said that successive administrations have continued to allocate, revoke and reallocate the said lands to private individuals or corporate agencies.
Nkoro explained that the actions of successive administrations were against the original purpose for which the host communities donated the said land to the Abia State government.
He prayed the panel to intervene.
Reacting, the Director of lands, Mr Augustine Uche-Ibe said that the said land was acquired for the establishment of the Specialist Teaching Hospital, pointing out that the State government decided to put other structures in order to develop the area.
