Speaking in Awka, yesterday, Ezenwajiaku stated that he would submit his resignation letter to Governor Peter Obi today, adding that this became necessary following the announcement of the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) Lagos on Wednesday that he was wanted for allegedly obtaining money by false pretence.
The commissioner stated that he was resigning because he did not want to bring the Anambra State government to disrepute, adding that he needs the time to pursue the matter and clear his name.
Ezenwajiaku described as inhuman and callous police declaration, stressing that SFU could not be declaring him wanted when he had been in constant contact with them both on phone and physically.
Ezenwajiaku also wondered what police interest was in turning a mere civil matter to fraud and the haste in declaring him wanted when the court has fixed September 23, 2013 for hearing on the same matter.
He said: “To prove my innocence, am going a step further by taking a hard decision of resigning my appointment as honourable commissioner for special duties. I am going to submit my letter of resignation to Governor Peter Obi first thing tomorrow morning. I do not, in anyway, mean to embarrass his government or myself. As a pharmacist and businessman before I was made a commissioner, I want to clear my name that I remain a man of integrity, a man who has never been arrested or detained by police, despite my several years as an international businessman.
“I will tender my resignation to His Excellency tomorrow morning (today), to be able to clear my name in this matter. Like I said, I will be taking a legal action against this people who have smeared my name. As am talking to you, my lawyer is ready to file action to the tune of N250 million against Nigeria Police Force, Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, CSP Eloho and Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit for what they have done to my name and person.”
Ezenwajiaku while narrating what brought about the police action, said that he established a company, Bioplastic Industry Limited at Ajao Estate, Lagos and after running it for about four years, he wanted to have investors to partner with him, hence the involvement of his kinsman, Mr. Chuks Mgbemena a director with the then National Maritime Agency (NMA), who agreed to buy 35 per cent of the shares worth about N8 million. He noted that it took Mgbemena three years to pay about N7.4 million, adding that the investor had declared he was no longer interested in the company and demanded that his money be refunded to him.
He said: “I am refuting this police allegation. I have told you the facts of this case, that not in any way is there an element of crime or fraud in this matter. It was an old case, business between friends, buying of shares from my company, Bioplastic Industry Limited, a transaction that started 1998 and ended 2002. Out of his (Mgbemena) own volition, he withdrew from the company and then called in auditors who wound up the company in 2005 finally and said Chuks would be paid N7.5 million; we shook hands as friends before other things happened.
“All I can say is that the debt remained unpaid because of some foreign debts I owed, which I must discharge first before his own and I’ve told him, in many ways, that your money will soon come and to make good my promise, exactly 26th of July this year, I made a bank draft N1.5 million, travelled to Lagos, gave it to my lawyer to give to Chuks. I am going to pay off that N7. 5 million.
“Surprisingly, one week after he received the bank draft of N1.5 million, he unleashed the men of the SFU on me; they came to my office in Awka here, that is all about this fraud and nothing else.”
Meanwhile, following the harassment by the men of SFU, the commissioner approached the Awka High Court for enforcement of his fundamental human rights and on August 23, 2013, Justice J. C Iguh granted an order restraining police from harassing or arresting him pending the determination of the matter.
The court has also fixed September 23, 2013 for hearing of the matter before police announcement on Wednesday.
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