The Abia State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the Recovery of Government Properties and Funds, chaired by Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe (Rtd), has raised concerns over the previous administration’s decision to sponsor students to study law in India. The issue was highlighted during a panel hearing marked JP/REC/2/2025, involving the Commissioner for Tertiary Education.
Justice Duruoha-Igwe questioned the rationale behind the scholarship program, noting that Nigeria’s legal system differs significantly from India’s. She revealed that the panel found no evidence of proper documentation for the scholarship schemes, which also included programs in Australia. The absence of a constituted Scholarship Board to oversee the initiative further drew the panel’s scrutiny.
The panel chair also urged better sensitization efforts to ensure Abia students benefit from the Federal Government’s interest-free NELFUND loan scheme for tertiary education.
In a separate ruling, the panel ordered Leo Ogbonna, former General Manager of the Abia State Water and Sewage Corporation, to return a Toyota Hilux vehicle allegedly in his possession. Justice Duruoha-Igwe directed Ogbonna to deliver the vehicle to the panel’s premises.
The inquiry continues to investigate the management of state resources under the previous administration.
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