Following online information that attempted to dig out the past misdeeds of the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Acho Ihim, there are fears that anti graft bodies are after him.
Moments after the Imo State House of Assembly commenced impeachment process of the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, the social media went abuzz with alleged stories of Speaker’s involvement of certain alleged acts in the past suggesting that he may likely be in the searchlight of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Crimes Commission, ICPC,
Part of the reasons, Trumpeta learnt, Ihim could be a guest of the anti graft bodies any moment from now, may not be unconnected to the N18m fraud case instituted against him at an Okigwe High Court, he reportedly avoided.
Trumpeta learnt that the Speaker is standing trial over his alleged involvement in the missing N18m under his watch as Okigwe Local Government Chairman. The last time the matter came up; the Judge frowned at the Speaker who was accused of “avoiding” the court to frustrate hearing of the case. The presiding Judge therefore threatened to jail Ihim if he fails to appear in the September 18, 2018 adjourned date.
EFCC and ICPC interest in the matter, this newspaper further gathered, was the inability of the Speaker to appear for the cases.
A former staff of the council had raised a petition claiming that Ihim during his tenure as chairman used his name to obtain the monies warranting the court case.
Another angle of the story has it that the circumstances surrounding how some students of a private school owned by the Speaker died years are raising a fresh dust. It would be recalled that students of a school believed to be part of Ihim’s private investment, Busy Brain Academy were involved in an auto crash were deaths occurred.
This newspaper was informed that those aggrieved on how Ihim has been handling the affairs of the House may have not only gone to dig into his past to excavate certain aspects of his activities but also notified the anti-graft bodies to go after him.
Efforts to get the Speaker to comment on the matter proved abortive while the numbers of his media aide were unavailable for comments before press time.
However, a staff in the office of the Speaker who does not want his name mentioned disclosed that no one is after Ihim adding that he has been in the state and not in hiding. “He was in the Assembly complex today (Monday), so EFCC is not after him” the sources stated.
