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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
