The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is intensifying investigation
on ex-Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Sen. Godswill Akpabio.
The EFCC is investigating allegations that the former governor embezzled N108bn during his tenure between 2007 and 2015.
Already, the anti-graft agency had written to five banks demanding
information on Akwa Ibom State finances under Akpabio’s administration.
Similarly, the EFCC is making moves to invite key members of the Akwa
Ibom State House of Assembly and serving commissioners, many of whom
served during the ex-governor’s administration.
A source at the EFCC said, “We have written to Zenith Bank, Keystone
Bank, FCMB, Skye Bank, and UBA demanding information on the state’s
accounts. We are also inviting the accountant-general, the
auditor-general, the Speaker and the Clerk of the House of Assembly. We
have traced some houses to the former governor in Lagos and Abuja, and
it is just a matter of time before we seize them.”
Akpabio was first quizzed by the commission’s detectives last year following series of petitions written against him.
The former governor, now the Senate Minority Leader, was accused of
embezzling public funds while he was governor of the oil-rich state.
In March 2013, he was accused of giving N1m each to six chairmen of the
Peoples Democratic Party from the South-South geopolitical zone that had
converged on Port Harcourt for a party reconciliation session, telling
them to use the money to “buy Mr. Biggs.”
A few weeks ago, the Akwa Ibom State government had gone to a state High
Court to get an interim order barring the EFCC from investigating
Akpabio’s administration.
The Justice Ntong Ntong-led court on July 15 granted an interim
injunction, restraining the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission, and the Inspector General of Police
from investigating the finances of the Akwa Ibom State government.
The suit was filed on behalf of the state government by the state
Attorney-General, Uwemedimo Nwoko, who also served under Akpabio and is
believed to be loyal to the former governor.
However, following motion on notice filed by the EFCC, the court on
Friday, vacated the order of interim injunction restraining the EFCC
from investigating the accounts of the state.
The judge then adjourned the matter till October 19 for a hearing on the
preliminary objection of the EFCC alongside other applications.
In a June 22, 2015, petition to EFCC, an Abuja-based lawyer, and
activist, Leo Ekpenyong had accused Akpabio of sheer waste in office.
Among several other allegations, the petitioner alleged that between
January and December 2014, the trio of Godswill Akpabio, a former aide
to the governor and another associate made illegal but substantial
withdrawals of cash from a designated state government-owned account
with Zenith Bank with account number 101037588, amounting to N22.1bn.
When contacted on the telephone on Saturday, Akpabio’s spokesman, Mr.
Aniete Ekong, said he was in a public place and promised to call back.
However, he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
Punch