Executive Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, Ethel Nebo-Ezeabasili, on Tuesday told The PUNCH that she had gone into hiding over an attempt on her life by suspected assassins.
She spoke 24 hours after the Enugu State Government announced the dissolution of ENSUBEB board through a letter by the Secretary to State Government, Mr. Amaechi Okolo.
When our correspondent visited the ENSUBEB headquarters in Enugu on Tuesday, riot policemen and soldiers barred workers from gaining entrance into their offices.
During the distress call, which she made from her hideout, Ezeabasili said she fled her home and office after two attempts were made on her life in the past two weeks because she insisted that due process must be followed in awarding contracts for projects in schools, estimated at about N3.6bn.
She told our correspondent that on her way to work on November 1, some persons suspected to be hired assassins chased her car, but she managed to escape.
According to her, on the same day, unknown persons came to her house at night and fired gunshots at intervals.
She also claimed that soldiers and thugs were sent after her with an order that she should be caught dead or alive.
Speaking further on what could have led to the dissolution of ENSUBEB, she said about 583 contracts were to be executed in ENSUBEB, including the construction of a new building. She said the state government set up a pre-qualification committee headed by one Nduka Ikeyi, which decided that only four contractors – New Techno Nig. Ltd, J and J. Techno Nig. Ltd, Raycon Nigeria Ltd and Akiota Works Ltd – would execute the 583 slots contrary to the ESUBEB law and procurement act.
Ezeabalisi said she held a pre-bid meeting on October 31, and when she left the meeting, some persons ‘‘sent from government house in Enugu with evil intention,” went into her office and took away her files.
She added that she was no longer liable for those files, saying, “Even if they are returned now, they would have been tampered with .”
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwoke, confirmed that the state government had dissolved the ENSUBEB board.
The commissioner, however, said he was not prepared to speak on the issue of threat to Ezeabasili’s life, “since it falls within the purview of the police and other relevant security agencies.”
When contacted, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said he was yet to be briefed on the matter.
However, one of the contractors that went to court, C. Chijioke of Chibundu Enterprises Nigerian Limited, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission, the Procurement Board and the Executive Secretary of UBEC to investigate the sleaze in ENSUBEB.
Chijioke said the investigation was necessary to ascertain how only the names of the four contractors were arrived at to execute the 583 slots, since none of them had done any job in Enugu State in the past seven years.