SHOCKING ALLEGATION!
Gov Akpabio’s N30M Largesse Tears A’Ibom Assembly Apart…Members Swear to replicate Rivers Assembly Scenario
*Lawmaker, Hon Onofiok Luke claims SSG, Umana & State Chairman of the Finance and General Purpose Committee Pilfers Fund
* How sharing formula had been planned since May 29, democracy day celebration
* “When the House resumes in August, we will spark a row that will not end until the remaining N14m is found, and nothing will stand our way. Obong Umana should not shortchange us because of his greed and quest for power, and feel we will always succumb to his caprices. Should the SSG be innocent, it then lay between Onofiok and Speaker Sam Ikon, the secret of the whereabout of the missing cash”-Member, A’Ibom House of Assembly
*Akwa Ibom Govt: “It is blackmail and it is not true. Whoever wrote this wants to tarnish the image of the Hon Members and the SSG, a man who gives so freely”
BY FEMI OLUWOLE, POLITICAL EDITOR, SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA
STILL in the heat of ongoing stalemate in Rivers State, another round of political crisis may be in the offing in Akwa Ibom State if political reports that reached us few hours ago are anything to go by. There may be a serious face-off between members of Akwa Ibom House of Assembly and Umana Umana, a hardworking Secretary to the Government of Akwa Ibom State ably aided by Chairman, Finance/General Purposes alleged to have ‘edited’ the fund and pilfered N14million which gravely affected the lawmakers’ sharing formula of the N30million handed out to them allegedly by Godswill Akpabio, Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State on May 29 during ‘Democracy Day.’
Swiftly the Akwa Ibom State Government has dismissed these reports, describing it as a mischief deliberately meant to discredit the good works of Governor Akpabio’s’ administration.
Gov Akpabio’s May 29 Democracy Day Fallout
It was gathered that the lawmakers swore that except urgent steps are taken, the fragile peace enjoyed by the Akwa Ibom State of Assembly may soon be replaced by chaos and maladies. Already, some of the lawmakers have promised to dust their boxing gloves, while others vowed to ensure that the chaotic scenario exhibited by the Rivers State counterparts will be child’s play, compared to the Armageddon that has brewed in the state legislative chambers.
The crux of the matter we learnt was due to a marginal shortage in a recent largesse of N30m donated to the lawmakers allegedly by Akpabio. The said N30m was allegedly approved for the state lawmakers during the May 29, democracy day celebration in the State.
Sharing formula
The formula for the sharing was for each member to get N1m, while the leadership of the house gets N4m. It was learnt that, the members were bemoaned when the chairman of the Finance and Appropriation Committee of the House, Hon Onofiok Luke came shared N500, 000 each to the members, remaining just N3m for the leadership of the house, a calculation which amounted to N16m, as against the agreed N30m.
However, it was the peaceful and humble nature of Hon Onofiok that prevented his colleagues from lynching him, as he told them that the Chairman of the Finance and General Purpose Committee of the State, and Umana who allegedly who pilfered the money.
The unconfirmed reports said members were quick to believe Hon Onofiok, as it was not the first time the SSG has tempered with funds meant for the House members, but some of them have vowed to get to the root of the matter once and for all.
One of the members who spoke to our reporter, alleged that should the SSG be innocent, it then lay between Onofiok and Speaker Sam Ikon, the secret of the whereabout of the missing cash.
The first term lawmaker who is obviously against the governorship ambition of the Secretary to the State Government noted that, “in fact when the House resumes in August, we will spark a row that will not end until the remaining N14m is found, and nothing will stand our way. Obong Umana should not shortchange us because of his greed and quest for power, and feel we will always succumb to his caprices”, the aggrieved lawmaker enthused.
Akwa Ibom Govt reacts
In a reaction, Anietie Ekong, Special Assistant to the Governor on Media to the governor said: “It is not true. Whoever wrote this wants to tarnish the image of the Hon Members and the SSG, a man who gives so freely. It is the work of mischief makers. It is unthinkable that Hon Members of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly would squabble over a mere one million Naira.”
