CSOs Decry Attacks On Ex-governor Emmanuel Over Alleged N700bn Fraud

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria’s  Akwa Ibom State has condemned the outpouring of attacks that followed alleged frauds totalling N700 billion during former governor Udom Emmanuel’s tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom (2015 – 2023).

It also called for a cessation of such smear campaigns against his successor, governor Umo Eno, noting that such campaigns of calumny have the potential of overheating the polity and distracting the government from concentrating on its primary mandate of delivering dividends of democracy to the citizenry.

The state director of the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN),  Otuekong Franklyn Isong, who spoke on behalf of a coalition of other CSOs, at a press conference in Uyo, the state capital urged the culprits to sheath their sword for peace to reign.

Recall that the state governor’s donation of N10 million to little school girl, Precious Bodunde from  Edo State, for pronouncing difficult English words correctly, had sparked controversy in the social media with activist, Fejiro Oliver, describing the governor’s gesture as a waste of government’s resources .

Oliver also called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on January 9 this year to investigate the alleged fraud of N700 billion linked to the administration of ex-governor Emmanuel.

He claimed that the former governor mismanaged the funds on unnecessary projects and enriched cronies and family and friends of the government.

Oliver’s media attack had been roundly condemned by the governor’s Senior Special Assistant on  Documentation and Research, Dr Essien Ndueso, who described the attack as mischievous as he was acting the script of his paymaster.

Joining the calls for a ceasefire, the coalition described the action against the leaders of the state as deleterious, with the capacity of snowballing into serious socio – political and ethnic tensions in the state, if not arrested early.

Besides, the coalition called on the 36 state governors to restructure and strengthen governance in the new year to improve service delivery to the people