Following a Federal High Court ruling ordering the interim forfeiture of over ₦1 billion allegedly diverted by the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government (SSG), Prof. Grace Umezuruike, and her aide, Ngene Nwanna Onyeabor, the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) has issued a strong statement demanding her immediate dismissal.
The court order, delivered by Justice Maureen Onyetenu on July 8, 2025, came after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an ex parte application triggered by a petition from social critic Nwoba Chika Nwoba. The EFCC subsequently froze the implicated accounts, initiating discreet investigations into the alleged diversion of public funds.
In a statement signed by AEISCID President, Ambassador Pascal Oluchukwu, the group decried the deepening levels of corruption in Ebonyi State, describing it as worse under the current administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru than in any previous government since Nigeria’s return to democracy.
The group expressed outrage that such large-scale corruption could thrive in a state where “abject poverty walks on the streets stark naked,” while critical infrastructure projects are underfunded and citizens continue to suffer. The association described the state government’s silence and inaction as “a dangerous signal of complicity or lack of political will to fight corruption.”AEISCID further questioned the governor’s professional credibility, noting that “once a prima facie case has been established leading to the freezing of the said accounts,” the responsible action should have been to ask the SSG to step aside.
They urged Governor Nwifuru to demonstrate leadership and uphold accountability by dismissing Prof. Umezuruike within 48 hours. The group emphasized that such a move would allow for a thorough and unhindered probe by the anti-graft agency and help restore public confidence.
In conclusion, the group condemned what they described as “grand-scale corruption” as the reason many state projects remain stalled and under-resourced, asserting that the diverted funds should be recovered and redirected toward meaningful development.
