The judicial panel of inquiry on the recovery of government properties and funds belonging to Abia State Government has held its inaugural sitting in Umuahia, with an appeal for members of the public to come forward with petitions and memoranda to assist the panel perform accordingly.

Speaking during the event held at the office of the Wife of the Governor, Government House Annex, Umuahia, the chairman of the panel, Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe, rtd, said the panel, though quasi judicial, is not a court and would work with petitions and memoranda supplied to it as well as give proper advice and recommendations to the governor.

According to the chairman of the panel, terms of reference of the panel include:

To receive and examine complaints and memoranda from individuals and other entities on the looting or conversion of government property, funds and related matters, and where necessary, make recommendations to the government for remedial measures or any other measure as appropriate.

To examine and ascertain whether the government’s moveable or immovable assets and funds have been illegally acquired or occupied, or converted to private use, and identify the person who is responsible and further make recommendations for recovering them and appropriate sanctions.

The governor further mandated the panel to also ascertain the extent of allocations and revocations of lands in Abia State from May 2015 to May, 2023 and determine the propriety of such allocations, revocations, or otherwise.

The panel would also review the award and execution of contracts from May 2015 to May 2023 and ascertain if they were in conformity with the extant laws.

It would also investigate any other matter incidental to or related to the foregoing terms of reference and make recommendations to the government based on their findings, which would be adhered to strictly.

In his speech, the Abia State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, said the state has witnessed a lot of alleged looting, saying that the state would only make progress of the issues are addressed.

The attorney general called on the public to show boldness by coming forward with the necessary information to enable the panel succeed and thanked the members of the panel for accepting to do the job.