Ex – Imo Deputy Gov Irona Denies EFCC Arrest, Threatens Legal Action
Former deputy governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, has denied ever being arrested or invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, contrary to malicious rumour circulating in some online media platforms.
The report had claimed that the former deputy governor was “intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and taken to the EFCC headquarters for interrogation.”
It alleged that Irona was involved in the collection of N400 million monthly from the account of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) during the administration of Chief Emeka Ihedioha.
The report also claimed that the former deputy governor was being investigated for allegedly mismanaging N5 billion counterpart funds for the Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP).
But in a statement, Irona’s Adviser, Communications, Walter Duru, described the report as “mindless falsehood”, saying it is false in its entirety and has no iota of truth in it.
“Former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, has no case with the EFCC.
“The fact that the writer neither contacted the EFCC spokesman nor the spokesman of the former deputy governor for confirmation clearly shows the intention of the sponsors of the false report.”
He said the immediate past deputy governor of Imo State was neither invited nor arrested by operatives of the EFCC or any other law enforcement agency in Nigeria.
“The former deputy governor is not under any form of investigation whatsoever. He is relaxing in his residence and is not arrested, invited or wanted by any law enforcement agency or any authority whatsoever, within and/or outside Nigeria,” he said.
Duru said the allegation of misappropriation of ISOPADEC funds is laughable, as the former deputy governor was never the chief executive officer of the Oil Commission and could not have been in charge of the commission’s funds.
“We consider it an insult and an attempt to reduce Imo State’s former deputy governor to mere head of one of the many parastatals in the state.
“On the allegation of mismanaging RAMP funds, nothing could be more untrue. The former deputy governor never managed any such funds and has nothing whatsoever to do with it.
“On the allegation that the former deputy governor never returned his passport to EFCC, it is strange, as Engr. Irona was never a guest of the EFCC and at no time did the anti-graft agency seize his passport.
“Engr. Gerald Irona is a responsible and patriotic, law-abiding Nigerian and will not waste a second in responding to any call or invitation from any constituted authority.”
He said the sponsors of the report are political detractors envious of the rising profile of the former deputy governor.
“While we consult our lawyers on possible legal remedy for this brazen and irresponsible spread of outright falsehood, the general public is hereby advised to disregard the report in its entirety, as there is no iota of truth in it,” Duru said.
