Uche Ihediwa, who previously held the position of Attorney General for Abia State, has dismissed accusations from legal scholar Chidi Odinkalu, featured in PREMIUM TIMES, which assert that he protected fraudsters and engaged in dubious contracts related to the litigation over the Paris Refund obtained by the state.
The Paris Refund denotes the funds reimbursed by the federal government to states after it was revealed that excessive deductions were made from state allocations due to external debt repayments made to the Paris Club during the period from 1995 to 2002.
Abia State, similar to many other states, employed various private consultants over time to facilitate the recovery of their allocated refunds. However, this approach sparked controversy due to disputes over consultancy fees, conflicting claims from multiple firms regarding their roles in the recovery, and accusations of misconduct in the management of those contracts and payments.
Ihediwa's remarks come in response to Odinkalu's article published on February 15, titled "Fraudsters-In-Law; The Conspiracy Against Abia State," where the former head of the National Human Rights Commission accused him and attorney Chibuzo Aguocha of obstructing efforts to prosecute alleged fraudsters associated with the Paris Refund recovery.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Ihediwa asserted that the claims made lacked thorough fact-checking and did not include the comprehensive context of multiple court cases involving consultants hired by different Abia State administrations to secure funds from the Federal Government.
“My name and others have been implicated in a narrative that fails to reflect the actual facts surrounding the cases being heard in court,” stated Ihediwa. “It is regrettable that such serious allegations were made without contacting those implicated.”
The former attorney general elaborated that between 2012 and 2018, Abia State engaged several corporations, including Ziplon Concept, Mauritz Walton, and Zilcon Higgs International Limited, to aid in recuperating its share of the Paris Refund. Disputes later surfaced concerning which entities were responsible for the recovery and what each was entitled to receive in consultancy payments.
Ihediwa pointed out that at different intervals, four firms claimed they had significant involvement in the recovery of over N16.3 billion allocated to Abia State in 2017, leading to several litigations at both the Federal Capital Territory High Court and the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He claimed that during his tenure as attorney general from 2019 to 2023, he opposed attempts by some contractors to secure judgments in favor of Abia State and took measures to stop proceedings deemed detrimental to the state's interests.
“I ensured that no payments were made to any contractor throughout my time in office,” he emphasized. “At no point did I accept any funds from them.”
Moreover, he denied allegations that he neglected to act on a suggestion from a judge in a High Court to refer the matter to the police for inquiry.
“The EFCC has investigated these issues, and they are currently pending before the courts,” he noted. “I abstained from engaging in media trials as the cases are still under judicial consideration.”
Ihediwa also refuted claims that he personally benefited from an agreement made between Abia State and Ziplon Concept Nigeria Limited, asserting that the arrangement was designed to safeguard the interests of the state.
“The lawyer mentioned in the article was retained by the company involved, not by the Abia State Government,” he explained. “Any professional fees owed to him were to be paid from the company's revenue, not from state funds.”
He accused Odinkalu of failing to acknowledge that a petition from one of the firms to the Abia State Government was later withdrawn, a fact he argued weakens the assertions made in the article.
“It is unjust to raise serious accusations while overlooking key facts that would provide the public with a clearer understanding,” Ihediwa stated.
He asserted that the ongoing cases related to the Paris Refund recovery remain in the judicial process and should not be subjected to media speculation. He also expressed willingness to cooperate with any formal investigation regarding the matter.
As of the time of writing, Odinkalu had yet to provide a response to Ihediwa’s statements.
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