By Our Reporter
Senator Ita Enang has reminded the immediate past Akwa Ibom governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel that every leader should be prepared to give account of his stewardship to either the people or God.
This is as Enang urged the immediate past Akwa Ibom Governor to respond to the corruption allegations made against him instead looking for who to blame.
In a statement in Uyo on Thursday, Enang said the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio should not be dragged into the ongoing investigation of Emmanuel.
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Recall that a group, Network Against Corruption And Trafficking, on Tuesday dropped a petition against Emmanuel at the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, accusing the former governor of corruption.
A former Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, he wondered why Emmanuel would hesitate to give account of his eight years of service as Akwa Ibom governor.
The former Senator, who represented Akwa Ibom North East in the National Assembly, said that the office of the senate president was an esteemed one, which should not be dragged into petty politics.
He said that it was wrong to deflect from the main subject contained in the petition, and that pointing fingers at notable personalities was diversionary.
“There is nothing to link the senate president or his office and associates with the said petition,” he said.
Enang urged Emmanuel to concentrate on his preparation to give answers to the issues raised in the petition.
He urged all Akwa Ibom people to unite and support Akpabio to deliver his duties as the senate president instead of unnecessary distractions.
“Let’s sink our differences and support the Senate President, he is one of our own,” he said.
Group Drags Ex-Gov. Udom to EFCC, ICPC
Meanwhile, the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Udom Emmanuel over allegations of corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
The petition was submitted at the EFCC headquarters on Tuesday, with NACAT representatives highlighting concerns about the misappropriation of state resources during Emmanuel’s eight-year tenure.
Leading the submission were Fejiro Oliver Tega Oghenedoro, NACAT’s Executive Director of Investigations, and Stanley Ugabe, the Operations Manager.
The petition claims that the former governor diverted significant sums from state coffers, specifically withdrawing over N4.5 billion in six months for security operations that were allegedly not conducted.
It details instances where funds intended for agencies such as the police, army, and navy were purportedly redirected into private accounts.
Citing ongoing investigations into other former governors, NACAT urged that Emmanuel to face similar scrutiny, calling on the EFCC to hold him accountable if any financial misconduct is proven.
Briefing journalists after submitting the petition, Oghenedoro stated: “NACAT would be failing in its duties if we ignored the alleged corruption and mismanagement of public funds by the former governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“We have thoroughly investigated and audited many of the state’s financial records available to us and detailed our findings in the petition.
“For instance, over N4.5 billion was withdrawn and claimed to be allocated to security agencies within six months in 2018, which we have traced.
“We can state that these so-called security votes were not received by our security operatives but were instead misused to benefit a few.
“The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State in 2018 can clarify whether Udom released N360 million to a unit called Operation Thunder under his command.
“If immediate past Governors like Ifeanyi Okowa and Yahaya Bello can be invited and investigated, Udom Emmanuel should also be required to account for our allegations against him.
“We have come to the EFCC office to officially submit a petition so that Nigerians will be informed and can follow the case.”
Eno ready to shelve immunity to answer anti-graft agencies
Based on thr development, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has expressed his readiness to shelve the immunity provided by the constitution to answer the anti-graft agencies if required.
The APC group tasked the anti-graft bodies to investigate the financial records of Akwa Ibom State between 2015 and 2023 when Emmanuel was the governor.
Former governor Emmanuel’s successor, Pastor Eno, in reaction to the clamour vowed to shade his immunity to face any probe.
Speaking in an interview monitored in by our correspondent in Uyo, the state capital on recent political developments including his rumoured plan to defect to the APC, the governor said he was clearly focusing on running his administration with utmost fidelity based on absolute transparency, accountability and due process.
He expressed disappointment in mischief makers, who he recalled to have been in the habit of running down every political leaders of the state from Obong Victor Attah – 1999 – 2007; Chief Godswill Akpabio – 2007 – 2015; and now his immediate predecessor and godfather, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.
The governor attributed the reason some critics were overheating the polity to a plan to soil his relationship with the President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and his political godfather, Mr. Emmanuel.
Since assumption of office on May 29, 2023, the governor recalled he had succeeded in building a bipartisan relationship with the centre, saying such affiliations in spite of political party differences, have yielded much socio-economic benefits to the state and urged those stoking the embers of discord to sheath their swords.
Advising against insult on leaders for political reasons, the governor said, ‘’He (Akpabio) is our son; and in spite of party differences, we shall continue to support him and encourage him to do more for Akwa Ibom state.
“I know that there are other leaders who have a thing or two against the Senate President; I know that even within the same party, we do not see eye-to eye with others; but we cannot continue to live under the dictum of ‘an eye for an eye,’ otherwise we will all go blind,” he stressed.
He vowed that no amount of political subterfuge would pressure him into running a politically suffocating administration; one that would keep him at loggerhead with the Senate President and other leaders, stressing that Akwa Ibom cannot remain a pariah state under his watch.
‘’My personal philosophy is that I do not hate anybody based only on what I have been told, and I do not inherit anybody’s enemies,’’ the governor added.
He emphasised that he was also very respectful of President Tinubu, and the Minister of State for petroleum resources, Ekperikpe Ekpo, assuring that he would always collaborate with them for the benefit of the state.
‘’Any detractor who feels that I should be fighting with our leaders should look elsewhere. As far as Akwa Ibom state is concerned, I will work with all leaders, irrespective of party affiliations for the benefit of the people,” he said.
He maintained that “I’m the political son of Udom Emmanuel, who in turn is the political son of Akpabio, and to that extent, I am the political grandchild of the Senate President, and in Ibibio tradition, a grandchild does not cry in the presence of the grandfather.”
