By Our Reporter
The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), urging them to probe the disbursement of security vote under former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom.
In the petition which was signed by Stanley Ugabe (Operational Manager) and sighted by journalists in Abuja, the group appealed to the Nigeria Police Force and the EFCC to conduct what it described as a “thorough investigation of the tenure of the former governor.”
The group alleged in the petition that the former governor mismanaged state funds, stressing that “if immediate past governors like Ifeanyi Okowa and Yahaya Bello can be invited, probed and facing prosecution, Udom should not be exempted to come and give accounts of our allegations against him.”
NACAT in the petition alleged that in the eight year-tenure of the former governor, a whooping sum of N700 billion remained unaccounted for based on its investigation.
While listing some of the ways monies were spent, the group said under a suspicious payment for “operational expenses for Operation Thunder” the Akwa Ibom government paid out a total of N360,000,000 from the office of the governor AKSG Zenith Bank account number 1014317094.
Also, the group called the attention of the EFCC and the ICPC to investigate 1,521 withdrawals which amounted to N1,160,000,000 by a single individual under the tenure of Udom.
When contacted, the EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that the petition was submitted to the commission by the group on Wednesday.
However, in his reaction, the Media Aide to the former governor, Mr Stephen Abia, dismissed the allegation, describing it as baseless, frivolous and unfounded, hence, should be disregarded by well-meaning Nigerians.
He said the petition was the handiwork of the enemies of the former governor who are looking for cheap popularity, stressing that records are on ground to proof the achievements of his boss during his tenure.
Abia, who said that the allegation did not hold water, insisted that his principal governed the state with utmost transparency and followed due process in all his dealings as governor.
The media aide further described the petition as a trash, which, according to him, should not be reckoned with, noting that the “originators are people of questionable characters and are well known for their notorious activities”.
