Gov. Akpabio's Corrupt Practices: A LETTER TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

                                              Gov Akpabio: Indicted

A LETTER TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

THROUGH

THE SENATE PRESIDENT,

THE SPEAKER OF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX,

THREE ARMS ZONE,

ABUJA-FCT.

Your Excellences, Mr. Senate President and The Hon. Speaker

House of Representatives

RE: NIGERIA; A NATION OF DOUBLE STANDARD AND COMPLICITY

Let me crave your indulgence to address you on the above topic in my capacity as a tax payer and bonafide citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In 2009 when our President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alhaji Umaru Yar’dua became incapacitated by illness, the issue of vacuum was resolved through what is now known as the doctrine of necessity through which the Vice President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan became acting President and Commander in Chief of Armed Federal Republic of Nigeria.

May I also recall that the event that led to the manipulated impeachment of former Governor of Bayelsa State Dr. D. S. P Alagmehsia by the Obasanjo Presidency in addition to state of emergency declared in Plateau and Ektit States by that regime.

My belief is that those actions were taken to launder the national image at a time there was a need to do so. Right now, Nigeria is in more desperate position as it is deep in the mud water of corruption and other anti democratic tendencies.

I wish to draw your attention to what is happening in the 21^st state of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State, otherwise known as The Land of Promise. The present regime ruling the state came into existence by fraud and corruption and has no accountability to the people. This is manifested in the exhibition of total impunity and recklessness.

Governor Godswill O. Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State does not understand the Federal Government Procurement Act and to him the due process theory belongs to the winds. Bills of quantities used in construction in the state are probably copied from the astral world as 1 kilometer of road is estimated and fixed between N1b and N3b Naira.

When Mr. President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in his maiden visit to Gombe state 2009 he observed and remarked that the Governor of that State Danjuma Goje was very prudent in management of resources of that state. He openly announced that Federal Procurement Officers may be sent to learn from the State. Mr. President was particularly excited by the cost effectiveness on projects like the Airport and the Banquet Hall of the Government House. The Airport project was put at …… while the Banquet Hall consumed N1.3 Billion Naira. Mr. President did not know that in Akwa Ibom State the Government House built at the cost of N7.4 Billion Naira in 2008 to 2009 also added a Banquet Hall in the 2010 Budget at cost of N10 Billion Naira. Today Akwa Ibom State Government House Complex is worth N17.4 Billion Naira and must be the only of its kind in Africa.

Your Excellences let me reproduce for your perusal a part of the corruption index I wrote and sent to the Presidency on the 6^th Day of September 2010. It covers a period of January 2008 to June 2009 taken as a case study. A compressive review and auditing will reveal that most of the awards upon which mobilization of anything from 30 to 100% were mostly scams. They should be made to publish the status of those jobs that earned 100% in the last four and the half years. They should be made to identify all vehicles purchased during the period. It is noticeable that vehicles are not ordered in the terms of their makes, units and quantities.

All the contracts recorded against the Hon. Commissioner for Works and Transport should be made public in complete details including all those that were mobilized 100% at the first instant.

On Akwa Ibom International Airport Project, which was re-awarded to Alcon Ltd. by Governor Akpabio, there is need to explain the exact job the new outfit did for $150,000,000 in addition to the 80% contract value already paid for by immediate past administration in the State. More so, when the contractor on the runway has not been changed.

Who owns the following companies, PROD GLOBAL LIMITED, CHINTO TECHNOLGIES LIMITED and OAK MOTORS? Please check also the date and the frequencies against each contract award on the enclosed table. The mind bugling revelations therein will be difficult to comprehend.

The highlight shows that the Hon. Commissioner of Works and Transport awarded contract at alarming rate directly to himself and the operating companies are run by his elder brother. Information including bank accounts and the account officers in various banks have been made available to relevant agencies including the anti-graft agencies. Unfortunately, nothing came out of the exercise.

Please find enclosed table for total details.

Recently, association of quantity surveyors of Nigeria cried out at the outrageous contract costs in the country and called for actual valuation of roads and other constructions in the country. There is no doubt that Akwa Ibom in particular is their reference point.

Your Excellences, in Akwa Ibom State Project are mostly designed for the purpose of siphoning our resources to align the pocket of the Governor, his family members and cronies. Today, there is no Akpabio either by birth or marriage that has not joined the league of Billionaires.  Media houses are heavily hired to sing the song of massive infrastructural development. Sycophancy is reaping the highest harvest in Akwa Ibom State. This is the picture of lootocracy and kleptocracy on exhibition in our State. It is more than a calamity.

Recently the House of Representatives rejected supplementary appropriation bill of N96 Billion Naira for the remaining part of the financial year from the Presidency. The reason for the rejection was for non inclusion of details regarding the actual implementation of the whole Budget.

Your Excellences, as I write this letter the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly are busy rubberstamping a whooping N94,000,000,000.00 supplementary estimate  for road construction and payment of salaries for the remaining 2 months of the year 2011. The roads in question are mostly Federal roads including the dualization of Uyo - Ekot Ekpene - Ekot Umoessin to Aba in Abia State, covering a distance about 50 kilometers, Oron Ibaka, Ini to Ikono road among others.

It is doubtful whether any information to warrant such an extravagant spending when the financial year is almost ending is available. This represents the level of inferiority and ineptitude the State House of Assembly.

Currently, the Federal Government and Lagos State Government are having serious friction over who should rehabilitate/construct the Lagos Ibadan Express way.

If Nigeria is not a country of double standard, is it possible an act of this nature could be tolerated? Thus the misapplication of public fund not amount to financial indiscipline and abuse of office?

Form the mouths of Mr. President and Senior Federal Government Officials have clearly stated that any State Government who undertakes building of Federal roads shall be compensated at the standard rate for a single lane whenever they are ready to make such refunds. In other words, dualizations and expansions shall be deemed illegal. If this is the position, is the Federal Government not encouraging fraud and corruption as well as guilty of complicity against the people of Akwa Ibom State? The much publicized war against corruption, where is it being fought from? How does the International Community see this Giant of Africa when people like Godswill Akpabio are given the free hand to destroy and loot away the collective destiny of Akwa Ibom people through massive fraud and corruption?

Your Excellences, personally, the recent statement by our President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to the effect that he was not a General, Lion, or a Pharaoh, to say the least, was not only disappointing, but very embarrassing.

Please Sirs, when next you meet our President tell him that apart from the fact that we need much more, we expecting him to be a Moses. A leader, who was trained in the best tradition and education of the Egyptian Empire, remained a mould and decoy of God and eventually manifested supremely in the emancipation of Israelites from the land of bondage. We certainly need a Moses.

Your Excellences, in addition to the issue of corruption we cannot ignore the case of terrorism and insecurity created in the State by Governor Godswill Akpabio and his government. The recent landmark judgement from two separate High Court Uyo Akwa Ibom State in respect of State sponsored crimes and subsequent frame up of innocents persons for the same crime. Rivers and Bayelsa State have been exposed to be their breeding ground for terrorist, murders, assassins and kidnappers. This is perhaps why Akpabio as a com man has been accusing neighboring state of harboring the bandits.

May I refer you to two judgement mentioned above;

1.     THE HIGH COURT OF AKWA IBOM STATE

HOLDEN AT UYO

CHARGE NO HU/12C/2010

JUDGMENT DELIVERED ON THE 14^TH JULY 2011.

BEFORE THE HON. JUSTICE E . I EDEMEKONG

2.     THE HIGH COURT OF AKWA IBOM STATE

HOLDEN AT UYO

CHARGE NO HU/10C/2010

JUDGMENT DELIVERED ON THE 4^TH AUGUST 2010.

BEFORE THE HON. JUSTICE ANDREW OKON

I enclosed here with certified true copies of the two judgments for your perusal.

In the recent report on the Federal Government Administrative panel on pre and after election violence headed by Hon. Justice N. Aremu, Akwa Ibom State has been indicted. The report, inter alia commented on the sophisticated weapons used in the Akwa Ibom for the violence, whereas those used in the North were mere local items such as knife, matchets, bottles and other minor weapons, the Akwa Ibom action involved weapons such as Ak 47, Machine guns and Grenades among others.

The judgment mentioned above has already showed that the Honorable Commissioner for Works and Transport is the State arms and ammunitions coordinate for the Governor. He is the head of “the Peace House”, the killers squad of the Governor.

Finally Your Excellences I see the National Assembly as the supreme authority with relevant oversight functions to properly fix this Nation for us, our children and posterity. You cannot afford to be indifferent when people like Godswill Akpabio are with impunity making nonsense of the rule of Law and Order as well as general recklessness.  To do otherwise will see you as Emperor Nero of Rome sleeping while Rome was burning. The Auditor General of the Federation has already indicted the National Assembly for encouraging corruption in Nigeria.

Do something.

Thank you

Ime T. Mbatessien