Aniefiok Christopher
The Civil Liberty Organization (CLO), Akwa Ibom State branch, has urged politicians in the state to refrain from using the controversy surrounding the 13 per cent derivation arrears’ refunds to heat up the polity.
The pro-democracy group handed down the caution Wednesday in a press statement signed by Akwa Ibom branch Chairman of CLO, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Secretary, Barr. Christopher Ekpo.
“We wish to reiterate our earlier advisory to politicians in Akwa Ibom State that they should not allow their political ambitions to becloud their reasoning or tend them towards creating unease or tension in the State,” the release stated.
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Speaking further, Franklyn Isong said “CLO is disturbed by the tension that the issue of 13% Derivation Fund arrears refund is being used to create. Particularly worrisome is the resort by certain politicians to heat up the polity with incendiary and inciting statements.”
The CLO, however, commended the State government and people of the State and security agencies for sustaining peace, which has earned Akwa Ibom the enviable status of the most peaceful State in Nigeria in the past seven years.
Observing with dismay that some politicians in the state are attempting to score political points out of the statement credited to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on the 13% derivation arrears refunds, through misrepresentation of facts, the body warned that such is capable of fuelling unrest and derailing the course of governance, peace and security in the state.
The CLO, however, considered the tension and furore surrounding the 13% derivation refunds as unnecessary and distracting and cautioned against any situation that can lead to a re-enactment of the 2011 pre-post electoral violence recorded in the State in which several lives were lost and properties worth hundreds of millions of Naira were destroyed.
According to Isong, CLO’s independent investigation into the issue has revealed that the 13% derivation arrears refunded to the account of the State government was captured in the 2021 Appropriation Law of the State and in 2021 approved revised Appropriation Law of Akwa Ibom State.
The leadership of the non-political organization reiterated its avowed commitment to continue to hold public office holders accountable to the people and ensure probity, transparency, and accountability in government.
He hinted that the State CLO has commenced tracking of constituency projects of State and Federal lawmakers, with the view to presenting an evaluation report to appraise the performance of the lawmakers at the end exercise.
The Chairman stated further that CLO had also embarked on a three-month tracking of executed and ongoing projects facilitated by the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel from 2015 to the date and applauded the Governor for embarking on these lofty and life-touching projects in the state.
According to him, the CLO team inspected projects cutting across Works, Health, Aviation, Environment, Education, Agriculture and Industry. In summary, more than 50 road projects were inspected and found to be either completed or at various stages of completion.
The CLO called on the people to take ownership of these projects and support the government to complete all ongoing projects for the benefit of the affected communities and for overall interest of Akwa Ibom people while advising political office seekers to play by democratic tenets, campaign with decorum and propagate their manifestoes to the electorate and avoid acts capable of breaching the peace and security of the State.
