A former special assistant to the president on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang has warned against dragging the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio into the travails of erstwhile Governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel.
Naijaonpoint understands that a group, Network Against Corruption and Trafficking, had recently petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where it accused the former Akwa Ibom governor of corruption and demanded that the anti-graft agency probe his administration.
Emmanuel, in the petition, is being accused of alleged mismanagement of funds running into ₦700 billion and other cash diversions allegedly perpetrated under his watch.
Tension has enveloped the polity over the petition, which has polarized the state along sociopolitical and ethnic lines, with some blaming Senator Akpabio as the brain behind the ordeals of his estranged godson, Emmanuel.
However, addressing newsmen in Uyo, Enang described the allegation as a ploy to distract the Senate President from delivering on his mandate to the people.
Senator Enang said, “With reference to the publications and discussions regarding alleged petition against the immediate-past governor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel to the EFCC, to account for his tenure in office and the attempt to deflect from the subject, searching in diversionary tactics for persons allegedly behind such, attempting in course to link the Senate President’s person or office thereto, we volunteer a brief intervention this:
“That from all interactions, there is nothing to link the Senate President or his office and associates with the alleged petition.
“That concentration should be on preparation to answer to the veracity or otherwise of the issues stated in the purported petition, admitting or denying the facts therein alleged and not seek to divert attention by these fruitless attempts.”
He added that all Akwa Ibom people should unite more to support and court Senator Akpabio in his standing as President of the Senate to deliver on his assignment and role as the head of the legislative arm of government and number three citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
As obtained in other states who have had the privilege of their sons holding such positions in the past, Enang said the people should sink all differences, bury party and ethnic divides “to have our basket of development challenges and present them to him to process and cause such within his powers and control to be executed while processing the rest to Mr President and appropriate ministers and institutions to handle for the benefit of our state.”