The Ebonyi state government may go down in history as one that has introduced kidnapping, abduction and threat to life in fight between it and consultants in the Paris Club refund debacle.
This is going by the petition written by Dr. Maurice Ibe, the Chief Executive Officer of Mauritz Walton Limited, a financial consulting firm, based in Abuja. He alleges that rather paying his firm the consultancy fee as agreed, the state government is coming after his life.
The Barr. Charles Ude petition to the Inspector General of Police, on behalf of Dr Ibe, alleged that the state governor, Dave Umahi, has sent people after his client believed to be on mission to harass and kidnap him.
The petition, with Ref: CU/01/EB/2022, urged the police authorities to forestall the “Illegal and unlawful attempt to abduct, kidnap and harass Dr. Maurice Ibe by Dave Umahi, Executive Governor of Ebonyi State.”
Dr. Ibe pleaded with the police boss to proactively take steps to halt the move by the governor and the police officers he has engaged for the nefarious activity against him.
The petitioner alleged that the Ebonyi State government defaulted in the payment of consultancy fees agreed between her and the consultants. Dr Ibe added that the development led to the filing of suit No. FHC/PH/CS/35/2022, between Andrew Bishopton Limited and the firm of its client, Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited against the Ebonyi government.
He added that the Ebonyi State government engaged the services of a legal expert to prosecute her defence at the Federal High Court.
Consequently, he added that on Thursday, July 21, 2022, the court, presided over by Justice Stephen Daylop Pam delivered judgment in their favour and ordered Umahi and the Ebonyi State government to pay them the agreed amount based on the services rendered.
Unfortunately, Barr. Ude alleged that Umahi rather than pay them, resorted to using different means to intimidate his client and his partner, including the use of the Ebonyi Command of the Nigerian Police Force who immediately swooped on his partner at her Abuja home, and in a frightful manner forcefully and illegally took Jackie Ikeotuonye, the Chief Executive Officer of Andrew Bishopton Limited into custody. She has been incarcerated at their facility in Abakiliki since July 31, 2022.
The petitioner said, “Our client had observed the trailing of his car and the strange movement of persons in unmarked vehicles around his home and office, on or since the 31st July, 2022.
“He is convinced that but for his personal security personnel, he would have suffered the same faith as Ms. Jackie.
Meanwhile, findings revealed that Ebonyi state indeed entered into an agreement with the two firms in 2015 and the state was paid the sum of $119.4m as a result of there work.
The Governor was said to have applauded the work of the consultants during a special session of the state executive council meeting in Abakaliki, the state capital, with standing ovation, when the state was paid the huge sum of over $119.4m.
He later sought and received approval from the council to pay the consultants. Reliable sources within Ebonyi State Government confirmed that payment was made in respect to Ebonyi State Paris Club Refund, but to whom and how much has remained a mystery.
Former and current serving members of the Ebonyi State executive council insist that there was an approval and payment of the 25% percent consultancy fees on the project.
However, after waiting in vain for the approved sum without headway, the consultancy firms decided to take legal means to recover their money.
It is not clear who received the approved sum outside the consultants. This a question which perhaps the anti graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, needs to provide an answer to.
In the petition, Dr. Ibe referred the IGP to a previous move by Umahi, which he alleged was to use the Abakaliki Police Command to swoop on his partner, the Chief Executive Officer of Andrew Bishopton Limited.
Bar. Ude maintained that, “Our client had observed the trailing of his car and the strange movement of persons in unmarked vehicles around his home and office, on or since the 31st July, 2022.
He said Dr. Ibe had since gone into hiding and needs to regain his liberty and resume his normal activities which he cannot presently do with the threat of Umahi’s style of justice hanging on his neck like the “sword of Damocles,” part of the petition read.
