Akwa Ibom Governor, Umo Eno, denies any state involvement in the N700 billion fraud allegations against Udom Emmanuel as the EFCC continues its probe. Is this political persecution or a genuine corruption case? Read full details.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has dissociated his administration from the staggering N700 billion fraud allegations leveled against his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, by the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), which is currently under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Abak on Saturday, Governor Eno refuted the claims, asserting that the figures being circulated were not from the state government.
“I don’t know where they get those figures from because it can’t be from Akwa Ibom State; it can’t be from us – we don’t have such figures,” Eno stated.
The governor criticized the continuous pattern of vilifying past leaders in the state, lamenting how former governors have faced similar scrutiny and persecution.
“I begin to feel that how we treat our leaders after they have put in all their efforts to serve can be very discouraging.
“We have done this consistently from Obong Attah, even the distinguished Senate President (Godswill Akpabio), we also vilified him; we went to EFCC. Now, we are doing it to Gov Udom Emmanuel,” he lamented.
Governor Eno warned that such actions could dissuade current leaders from putting in their best efforts, knowing they may later be subjected to legal battles and public condemnation.
Recall that former Governor Udom Emmanuel was arrested on Tuesday by operatives of the EFCC over allegations of money laundering and fund diversion.
The petition against Emmanuel claims that during his tenure from May 2015 to May 2023, he received over N3 trillion from the Federation Account but left behind a debt profile of N500 billion, along with unpaid ongoing projects worth N300 billion. The former governor is also alleged to have mismanaged and failed to account for N700 billion in state funds.
With Eno’s strong defense of his predecessor, questions have arisen over whether the allegations against Udom Emmanuel are politically motivated or rooted in genuine financial mismanagement. While the EFCC’s probe continues, the controversy surrounding the case has sparked a broader conversation about how past governors are treated post-office in Akwa Ibom and beyond.
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