Allegations against Governor Udom Emmanuel, wild and baseless

Allegations against Governor Udom Emmanuel, wild and baseless

The APC still reeling from the Tsunami type defection that depleted its increasingly shrinking ranks with over 25 thousand former members led by the Ward Chairmen across the 31 Local Government Areas and the former Ward Chairmen on Monday, is again grasping at straws trying to hold on to anything to keep it afloat from sinking deeper into the life support the party is currently tittered.
In a bewildering and laughable manner, its Chairman, Ini Okopido who is fast making himself a laughing stock in the community of rational and reasoned people released a press statement where he made wild allegations whose sources mainly are derived from barroom gossip.
It is sad and unfortunate that this particular Party Chairman would descend to such gutter level of parroting things he knows fully well are tissues of lies and have no bearing to reality or conventional thoughts or wisdom. The APC Chairman should know that his press release is libellous. The EFCC has not indicted Governor Udom Emmanuel and it said so expressly in the Charge Sheet. There is nothing to charge the governor with, because he has not done anything to warrant such an action. The EFCC is on a with-hunt mission and the good people of Akwa Ibom State are well aware of this. We wonder where Okpoido got his own version of the story of indictment.
We may wish to remind Mr. Okopido for the umpteenth time that Chief Paul Usoro (SAN) has been in retainership with the Government of Akwa Ibom State since 2003. He provided the same service to the APC Senatorial Candidate for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Godswill Akpabio when he was the governor. From Godswill’s re-election in 2011 until Friday June 1, 2012 when the Supreme Court finally ruled on the case in favour of Godswill Akpabio, Chief Paul Usoro (SAN) was the lawyer that defended Akpabio at the election tribunal against the then ACN Gubernatorial Candidate, Senator John Akpanudoedeghe. We challenge the APC to produce the record of the personal funds Akpabio spent in the prosecuting that case to the public.
Akpabio spent billions of State’s funds to fight his litigations and Chief Usoro (SAN) as the lawyer retained by the State Government was paid for the services he rendered. Why the double standard today? Why is Governor Udom Emmanuel, a man who towers above all his adversaries in integrity quotient, performance, transparency, moral values and Christian orientation being treated differently? So it was all good and dandy when Akpabio spent billions of the State’s resources to defend himself at the election tribunal and the EFCC did not indict him or charge him for money laundering but with Governor Udom Emmanuel, it’s a different standard? This is the height of hypocrisy and the world is watching.
Mr. Okopido should understand that Chief Paul Usoro (SAN) was paid for services he rendered for the State Government, same service he provided for Godswill Akpabio. Chief Usoro it must be stated is still being owed in excess of 5 billion Naira as we speak by the State Government. Mr Okopido and his gang of truth- twisters and talented liars should be ashamed of their shenanigans. They think the good people of Akwa Ibom State are gullible, sorry, Mr. Okopido, they can see through your lies and subterfuge and they don’t believe you one inch. They know that your party is using the EFCC to hound and assail the sterling character and integrity of those you consider your opposition.
It is a sad commentary on the state of our growth as a nation when a tax payers’ funded agency turns itself into an arm of a political party that executes its dirty tricks. Governor Udom Emmanuel is a man of integrity, transparency and honour. Mr. Okopido should go and ask the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) which in February this year, gave the Governor its National Service and Integrity Award. The accounts of the State Government are regularly published by the office of the Accountant General and this information is in the open space. The same cannot be said of their patron saint, Godswill Akpabio when he was the governor.
We will not dignify Mr. Okpoido with a response on the wild allegations of a phantom residential estate in Ogun State or another imaginary “highest stockholder” in Zenith Bank. These are nothing but lies from the pit of hell. We have been reliably informed that the APC is intimated by Governor Udom Emmanuel’s towering personality stepped in integrity, character, transparency and deep fear of God. They are grasping at straws to see what they can do to peel the sheen and shine off the Governor’s nationally and internationally celebrated attribute as a man of integrity and character. They have failed and will continue to fail. Governor Udom Emmanuel remains the very definition of the word Integrity.