The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has
began to probe into the alleged fraud of N108.1billion of
Akwa Ibom funds by former Governor Godswill Akpabio.
This comes after a petition was sent to the office of the
commission by one Abuja based lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong who
called on President Buhari and the EFCC to look into the
alleged looting Akwa Ibom state treasury.
According to reporters, Leo Ekpenyong is not the only one
seeking probe of the former governor, some state indigines
are also demanding for the investigation of the PDP man.
The currently elected Senator, Akpabio was elected in as
governor in 2007 when the nation enjoyed robust oil revenue
and Akwa Ibom and Rivers led the way as Nigeria’s largest
oil-producing states.
Both states had received the highest funds allocation from
the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC,
monthly.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics and the office of
the Accountant General of the Federation indicate that under
Mr. Akpabio, known for ostentatious spending, Akwa Ibom
received a staggering N1. 6 trillion from FAAC between June
2007 and May 2014.
Ibom Governor’s Lodge
By the time Akpabio left office, on May 29, the state
received more, excluding other revenues like Ecological
Funds, internally generated revenue etc.
Ekpenyong petition which was also forwaded to Mr. Buhari
and the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, he
stated that between January and December 2014,
Akpabio colluded with two of his top aides to steal a
whopping N108.1 billion from the state’s treasury.
He accused the former Government House Permanent
Secretary, Etekamba Umoren, and the former Accountant
General of the state, Udo Isobara of helping out the current
senator.
“Between January –December 2014, it is on record that the
trio of Godswill Akpabio, Mr. Etekamba Umoren and Mr. Udo
Isobara, made illegal but substantial withdrawals of cash
from a designated state government-owned account with
Zenith Bank with account number: 1010375881 amounting
to N22.1 billion,” he stated in the petition.
“It is worthy of note that reasons for such ungodly cash
withdrawals against financial regulations and due process
laws range between sundry use and unjustifiable
expenditures by Godswill Akpabio and his numerous
surrogates and proxies.
“For example, a whopping N18 billion was withdrawn
fraudulently from the state FAAC account with the United
Bank for Africa in trenches of N10 million and above by Mr.
Isobara in a surreptitious manner to conceal their dishonest
intention.”
Ekpenyong suggested that Mr. Umoren was rewarded with
an appointment as Government House chief of staff and
now secretary to the state government for helping to divert
funds.
He said that over N50 billion of Akwa Ibom funds were
wasted for campaigns by the former governor.
“The cumulative aggregate of these monies stolen by
Godswill Akpabio from the coffers of government as pocket
money is the annual budget of some states in Nigeria put
together,” the petition reads.
He went on to list homes and assets bought by the
governor through several surrogates. Those he named
include multi-billion naira mansionette at Plot 28 Colorado
Close, Maitama, Abuja and another multi-billion naira
mansion at 22 Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Others include a multi-billion naira mansionette at Plot 23
Olusegun Aina Street, Parkview, Lagos and a multi-
billion naira 25 storey building at Akin Adesola Street,
Victoria Island, Lagos.
“As earlier promised, more details of assets and graft-
related funds illegally and fraudulently siphoned from Akwa
Ibom State treasury and laundered to foreign destinations
are in the offing. As usual, we will do the needful.
EFCC have already held discussions with Mr. Ekpenyong
over the petition and were surprised with the level of detail
involved.
EFCC are now schedulled to arrange Akpabio for questioning
over the alleged crimes. Meanwhile the commissioner of
information during the administration of Mr. Akpabio,
Aniekan Umana has described the petition as scribles of a
person who fails to understand the he workings of
government.
“Every sum withdrawn from a government account is tied to
a subhead and there must be a budgetary provision. To
attribute fraud to withdrawals which had the full sanction of
Government and was accommodated in the budget is
strange, mischievous and untenable. More so, when one
understands that there are checks and balances which
guide all aspects of government financial administration,” he
said.
He claimed: “There was no such provision in the budget of
this year and such an amount could not have been paid as
an extra-budgetary expenditure and yet salaries and other
commitments were met. We challenge the petitioners to
provide proof to support this wild allegation. Who was it
paid to? How was it paid? Where was it paid? And when
was it paid?
“Senator Akpabio does not own a 25-storey building in
Victoria Island or in any part of the world, as alleged by the
petitioner. It is also a patent falsehood that the house at 22
Probyn Road, Ikoyi belongs to Senator Akpabio.
It is a rented building which ownership can be verified from
Lagos State Lands Registry.
“Senator Akpabio does not own the properties mentioned in
the petition to belong to him. You can verify the ownership
of the properties (5 Okokosi Close, Maitama and Plot 28
Colorado Close, Maitama) from the land registry in Abuja,”
he said.
He also denied the state received over N2 trillion as oil
allocation.
“Please do note that the idea that the Akwa Ibom State
Government received over N2.5 trillion in the eight years of
the Akpabio administration is an outrageous lie. What this
suggests is that the State Government received an average
of N26 billion monthly for the period. What a lie! From
published accounts of disbursement from the Federation
Accounts, Akwa Ibom State never received up to N26 billion
in any month throughout the period.
Note that in some months like the April and May, 2015,
Akwa Ibom State received about N8 billion only.”
Godswill Akpabio had been having talks with the APC
recently with political critics saying that he wants to jump
ship despite being one of the pillars of the depleted PDP.