The Independent Corrupt Practices And Other-Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has absolved 10 members of the Ebonyi State Executive Council of alleged abuse of office, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds meant for the development of the state.

This clean slate was contained in a letter by the commission to the Secretary to the State Government dated February 8, 2017.

The anti-graft agency responded to a petition forwarded to it by persons in the state alleging massive corrupt activities by the 10 commissioners.

The petitioners had alleged that the Commissioners for Works, Fidelis Nweze; Environment, Moses Nomeh; Power, Emmanuel Uguru; Lands, Housing and Survey, Sunday Inyima; Health, Daniel Umezurike; and Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Samuel Okoronkwo, were deep in corrupt practices and abuse of office in the discharge of their duties.

Others were Education Commissioner, John Eke; Agriculture, Uchenna Orji; Finance, Dennis Ekumankama and Francis Orji, a former Commissioner for Water Resources who now heads Border Peace and Conflict Resolution.

The anti-graft agency in a letter with reference number ICPC/INV/GBP/HOD/065 signed by its HOD of investigations, Adedayo Kayode, said that its investigations “revealed that none of the allegations against the above mentioned commissioners was true and no provision of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 was violated.”

It went ahead to add that it had “set aside the case for lack of evidence to prosecute them.”

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