APPEARING before the Abia State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Government Properties and Funds, the Director of Computer Services in the Ministry of Budget and Planning, Ejem Kalu, and the retired Director of Debt Management in the Ministry of Finance, Mr Umah Ukaonu, addressed a petition filed by A. N. Nwachukwu, alleging connivance and withdrawal of millions of naira. Another petition challenged the removal of Mrs Joyce Chidozie Ubani as Head, NG Cares Units and the Non-implementation of NG Cares projects in Abia State.
During cross-examination, Mr Ejem Kalu clarified that Mrs Joyce Chidozie Ubani never held the position of State Cares Coordinating Units (SCCU) and explained that the World Bank gave the State directives to appoint State Cares Coordinating Units, which he emerged as. He revealed that the first tranche of money, after successful documentation and implementation of 86% NG Cares Units projects in Abia State, amounted to 1.1 billion naira, which was disbursed to six platforms including Cash Transfer, Labour Intensive Public Work, CSDA, FADAMA, and SCCU. He stated that the 1.1 billion naira from the World Bank was judiciously used for the intended purpose.
Umah Ukaonu, in his response, mentioned that the monies were released and withdrawn from the Ministry through the signature of the Permanent Secretary, himself as Director of Debt Management, and Director of Finance for projects and programs. He also disclosed that 10 million naira was realized in 2022 from companies partnering with the Abia State government, with the monies directly paid into government coffers.
In a separate matter at the Judicial Panel, the immediate past General Manager of Methodological Complex Nig LTD, Mr Henry Nwaijike, claimed that equipment and machines kept in the warehouses of the company were looted by unknown hoodlums who broke into the facilities. He reported the missing equipment and machines to security agencies and denied looting the missing government property. However, the petitioner, Onyebuchi Nwankpa, demanded that the former General Manager should give an account of how the equipment and machines were looted at the peak of his handover. Mrs Enobong Okafor, Counsel to the Abia State Judicial Panel, mentioned a letter dated 3/5/2022 by Johnson Onuoha, indicating that the evacuation of machines took place before Henry Nwaijike handed over to the acting General Manager of Methodological Complex Nig LTD, Ada Chukwu.
