By Emeka Samuel, Uyo
A pressure group committed to good governance and advancement of peace
in Akwa Ibom State, the Justice and Development Initiative has
carpeted the candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC) for the 2019
governorship election in the state, Obong Nsima Ekere alleging that he
misappropriated government funds placed in his hands while serving as
a deputy governor.
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The group who said in a statement issued in Uyo yesterday that Ekere
who is also the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development
Commission is not fit to be the governor of the State noted that the
State APC governorship candidate is yet to complete a N3.6 billion
contract awarded his firm since 2012.
Obong Ekere while serving as the Deputy Governor to then Governor,
Senator Godswill Akpabio was said to have secured the contract from
the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) using his company name,
Great House Investment.
The statement signed by the President of the group, Mr Tom Chris
Morgan and Secretary, Mr Henry Bassey explained that the statement was
meant to enlighten residents and indigenes of the state in making an
informed decision on who to vote for in next year’s gubernatorial
elections in the state.
“We want to declare that the APC governorship candidate of Akwa Ibom,
Obong Nsima Ekere is unfit to govern the state because of his
fraudulent character.
“It is no record that the APC governorship candidate had in 2012 as a
deputy governor collected a contract worth N3.6 billion using his
company Great House Investment and after 70% mobilization was paid to
him less than 20% work has been done on the site six years after the
contract was awarded.
“The contract was awarded by the NDDC to Great House Investment to
build a teaching hospital at the site of the Akwa Ibom State
University in Mkpat Enin with an initial sum of N3.6 billion with a
variation of N1.1 billion.
“It is surprising that after six years work on the site has not
reached 20 % completion thus denying our medical students and
residents of the state the opportunity of enjoying first class medical
services and training.This is the same person that wants to be the
governor of Akwa Ibom. It is because of this and many other fraudulent
activities of his that we are saying he is unfit to rule the state.”
the group declared.
The body maintained that. “It was this act and many others that made
the then governor of Akwa Ibom to force him to resign from office as a
deputy governor.”
“We therefore call on residents and indigenes to disregard his many
promises of a new vision for Akwa Ibom State as he would continue to
perpetrate his misappropriation traits if given the opportunity to be
governor of the state.” The statement said.
The group further added that recent protests across major cities of
the country against him were not unconnected with his misappropriation
of public funds
Reacting to this, the spokesperson, Nsima Ekere Governorship Campaign
Council, Barr Eseme Eyiboh, described such allegations as baseless and
ranting of “those that wants to confuse Akwa Ibom people on the new
vision his principal wants to bring to governance in the state.”
Eyiboh maintained that those organizing protests across the country
are non-performing contractors who wants to distract the APC
governorship candidate, noting that, Obong Ekere records of excellent
performance as deputy governor, NDDC Managing Director among others
remain in the public domain for perusal.
He charged people of the state to disregard call from unknown groups
who wants to be noticed especially in this peak period of political
engineering.
