Our attention has been drawn to the report in several media, both electronic and print alleging that His Excellency Chief Achike Udenwa was arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) on the grounds that he failed to keep to his bail condition by failing to report to the Commission when required to do so.
We may not have responded to this but for the numerous enquiries from the media and other members of the public. Also the above reason is very grave and portrays His Excellency as unreliable and may have other sinister motive for not reporting when needed to do so and puts his guarantor in jeopardy.
By a letter dated 13th May2016 , His Excellency applied and obtained permission to travel abroad for medical treatment. Consequent upon this, the Commission released his International Passport which the Commission has been keeping. The Commission scheduled his next visit to be13th August 2016. This date was agreed by both parties, not realising that it was a Saturday, a non working day by the Commission. On return , he contacted the officer in charge and agreed a new date of Thursday 18th August.
Surprisingly, on Tuesday 16th August, His Excellency,while in Pot Harcourt for the PDP convention, got a call from his guarantor, that he was urgently required to report to EFCC Lagos office by 10am on Wednesday 17th August, the day of the PDP convention and a day before his scheduled reporting day. He obliged.
On reporting, he met another officer, whom he was directed to see. She immediately confronted His Excellency with the fact that he has deliberately and consistently refused to honour invitations and could no longer be reached. This was shocking, as all my dealings with the Commission should be in the file. This was his fifth visit to the Lagos office and there has been no case of failure to report on appointed date.
This action appears premeditated, following the sequence of events and the speed with which the press was informed. Meanwhile, His Excellency had been put off the PDP convention. However, the whole episode ended late the same evening.
It is important to state categorically that His Excellency has no reason to fail to report to the commission when required to do so as this case is about the money for the Presidential election as it concerned all the states of the federation and not Imo state alone. As the PDP Presidential election coordinator in Imo state His Excellency and some others involved, have explained the details of the expenditure in the exercise as far as Imo state is concerned.His Excellency therefore has nothing to hide.
Peter Agba Kalu
Media Assistant
To His Excellency Chief Achike Udenwa
