Legal practitioner, Igodo petitions Nwifuru, calls for the sack of PCACC boss, Nwankwegu

Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

A Legal Practitioner and Member of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, Ebonyi State chapter, Chukwuorji Igodo has petitioned Governor Francis Nwifuru over alleged incompetence and lack of qualification of the Commission’s Executive Chairman, Sabinus Nwankwegu.

Igodo made this call through in a petition titled “Petition for the removal of Sabinus Nwankwegu, Executive Chairman of Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, PCACC, Ebonyi State, and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi State.

The Petitioner, Igodo urged governor Nwifuru to remove Nwankwegu as Chairman of the Commission and replace him with a more competent and qualified individual from Ebonyi Local Government Area of the State.

He highlighted non-qualification, incapability, inefficiency, maladministration and financial impropriety as some of the defects of the present Executive Chairman of the Commission.

The petition reads in part: “I bring to your attention the several grave concerns regarding his tenure, as outlined in the (PCACC) LAW.

“Non Qualification (S.4 of PCACC Law) I assert that Sabinus Nwankwegu does not meet the qualification stipulated in section 4 of the PCACC law, raising serious questions about his eligibility for the position.

“It is injustice to allow Sabinus Nwankwegu to continue to occupy the position of the chairman, against the provisions of the PCACC Law. It is more unjust, watching someone who is in continuous disobedience of the law, sitting to decide the fate of another person who is allegedly, disobedient to the same law.

“It is torture for the men of conscience and officers of the temple of justice appointed into the commission to sit and watch such illegality, perpetually.

“Incapacity: There are alarming indications of incapacity in executing the responsibilities associated with the role of Executive Chairman, negatively impacting the effectiveness of the PCACC in combating corruption and addressing public complaints”.

“The inefficiency observed in the operations of the PCACC under Hon. Sabinus Nwakwegu’s leadership has compromised the commission’s ability to deliver on its mandate. This inefficiency poses a threat to the pursuit of justice and erodes public trust. This also stems from his non-qualification ab-initio.

“Your Excellency, there are a lot of corruption and malpractices going on in different markets within the state, especially in the area of revenue collection and generation, where unidentified persons collect these monies without authorization and not remit to government, etc and yet the Commission is adamant to it. That is the highest level of inefficiency.

“Concerns have been raised regarding financial impropriety within the PCACC, with evidence pointing to questionable financial practices under Hon. Sabinus Nwankwegu’s watch. Such improprieties erode the public’s confidence in the Commission’s ability t uphold transparency and accountability” he stated.

When contacted, the Executive Chairman of PCACC , Ebonyi State, Sabinus Nwankwegu who explained that he was sick and could not address issues rounding the petition, added that he will address the press at the appropriate time.