Emeka Samuel, Uyo Correspondent
Event sponsors, Papi Event and Promotion limited, has filled a N10 m suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and one Idongesit Eyibio who claim to have won five houses in a lottery competition organised in 2003.
The competition was staged to commemorate the 25th Silver jubilee Anniversary of Akwa Ibom State.
Eyibio was said to have been denied keys to the houses for allegedly violating terms and conditions of the competition had approached EFCC after his suit against the Promoters was dismissed by the court for lack of merit.
Joined in the suit no HU/123/2013 were the Commissioner of Lands and Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State.
But the promoters in a suit No. HU/297/2019 filed at High court no 10 of Akwa Ibom State by it’s solicitor, Anthony Ebuk, is seeking an order of court to declare that “EFCC has no authority to sit on apeal over a valid judgement of a court of competent jurisdiction.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ebuk condenmed the attitude of Eyibio whom he said had also allegedly made false allegations of fraud and corruption against the organisers before the Human Rights Radio (Brekete) 101.1 Abuja, alleging that he won the houses but was denied the keys.
In the statement Ebuk, insisted Eyibio violated the terms and conditions of the competition by allegedly transferring tickets he procured for persons to stand as onwners of the tickets, a claim which had been confirmed by the National Lottery Commission after it carried out an Independent Investigation on the matter.
” Papi Event and Promotion limited in conjunction with the Akwa Ibom State government organised the 25th Silver Jubilee Anniversary Lottery in 2013. A prominent term of the lottery was that a participant could win as many consolation prizes as possible but will not be allowed to win the star prize-one of the 25 houses in the newly built estate more than once.
“This was to avoid a situation where one person will win all the 25 houses.This position was further confirmed in a letter dated 25th March, 2013 by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission to Papi Event and Promotion limited, which drew their attention to the strick compliance with the “One winner one house” rule.” It said.
The statement stated however that after the draw, one miss Daniella Bassey emerged the winner and was given the keys to house no one, subject to further verification to determine her Identity before title documents could be handed over to her.
According to the statement when all the winners turned up to claim their wining one Idongesit Eyibio accompanied by five others with winning tickets also turned up to fill the verification forms after investigation had revealed that he purchased lottery tickets for more than N6m.
After the verification exercise, it was discovered that the winning ticket presented by one Daniella Bassey was actually purchased by Eyibio in Calabar on 8/08/2012 when he bought N500.0000 worth of the ticket with the Skye bank teller no 0357758 at the Calabar Branch.
Reacting, Eyibio described all the allegations as false adding that there was no sincerity on the part of the organisers.
He alleged that non of the other participants who won in the competition had been allocated any of the houses adding that the organisers instead have allocated tenants in the houses won by the participants.
“Right now just go to the houses along Idioro road and you will see other tenants living there. I came accross a radio advertisement in 2012 that Akwa Ibom State is celebrating her 25th Silver Jubilee Anniversary and that there will be lottery in which people will win houses.
“I was not interested initially, but when I went to Skye Bank in Calabar, I met one lady who encouraged me and I bought a ticket for N10,000 only.
“There after I got a number from the ticket and when i called the person happened to be one Emem Udoesen, the wife of Papi Event, and the MD is Anietie Ekong.She said she is the Promoters of the event buying tickets and wining houses.
“When I went to buy the first set of tickets, I was with my girlfriend, and she said why can’t I buy for my girlfriend also,? So she was like instigated her against me, so I now bought for her” he said..
