According to Nwoba Chika Nwoba, Rt Hon. Sabinus Nwankwo-Egu was thrown into prison for murdering the traditional ruler of Oguzoronweya Community of Ebonyi LGA, HRH, Eze Innocent Nwodom in 2005 over a misunderstanding. Nwoba writes below:
It is laughable how empty Gov. Umahi can act some of the time. Umahi governed Ebonyi State for 7 years and 11 months without setting up an anti corruption commission and just two days ago, he created one and swore members into office. He did this to use them and rival the EFCC should there be a petition against him on leaving office. He took them to the House of Assembly for clearance. The secret mandate he gave these minions of his was that they should absolve him of corruption suspicion and declare him corruption free on the 29th of May, 2023 when he will be shamefully leaving office as Governor of Ebonyi State.
He made a man thrown into prison for killing his traditional ruler Chairman of the Anti Corruption Commission. Chief Sabinus Nwankwo-Egu was arraigned for killing the traditional ruler of Oguzoronweya Community of Ebonyi LGA in 2005, HRH, Eze Innocent Nwodom. The panel of enquiries set up by Gov. Sam Egwu at the time was headed by Justice Elvis Ngene on the 25th of February, 2005. Ngene is currently the Chief Judge of the Ebonyi State Judiciary. A militant group named IKUKU and led by the personal assistant to Hon. Sabinus who was the Deputy Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Chukwuma Mbam mur
dered the traditional ruler on the order of the Deputy Speaker, Sabinus.
The panel headed by Justice Elvis Ngene including other DSS officials recommended prosecution of Sabinus. Sabinus was later thrown into prison and released by a court on a health reason and to be brought back to prison after treatment. For political reason, he was absorbed into the free society, while the case in court is subsisting.
In 2015, Gov. David Umahi nominated Sabinus for appointment as Commissioner. The House of Assembly declined clearing him for this reason. Fast forward to April, 2023, David Umahi made him chairman of the Anti Corruption Commission of Ebonyi State. Other members of the commission are card-carrying members of the APC. Secretary to the Commission, Barr Igodo Chukwuorji was House of Assembly aspirant in 2022 to represent Ivo State Constituency at the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
I stated earlier that Gov. David Umahi doesn’t give appointments to people who don’t have stains on their images, at least 80% of his appointments. Why setting up a commission like this a month to quitting office? He clearly gave them a mandate in the secret. He told them to declare him corruption free on the 28- 29th of next month.
What should a Commission headed by a mur-der suspect already proven culpable to a heinous crime achieve other than to exacerbate corruption in Ebonyi State? This is the character we call Governor.
NCN.