April 8, 2008
POWER SECTOR PROBE: $ 80 MILLION IBOM POWER FUND DISAPPEARS
….EFCC INVITES AKWA IBOM SSG AS AIDES FIGHT OVER N6 MILLION
-Citizen Reports
The anti-corruption campaign of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State may suffer a major set back as the present probe by the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel have uncovered a large scale fraud in the State owned Ibom Power Project.
The committee discovered that though the Obasanjo’s administration refunded the sum of $80m being the federal government counter part fund for the project, the where about of the money can not be traced. According to a source in the team, the legislators were miffed that despite the fund spent on the project, it is yet to find its feet.. When confronted, the managing director of the project Mr. Wilcox said, though he heard that government was set to release the money, but he could not confirm if it was released.
However a close source in the Akwa Ibom Investment Promotion Coucil said that from all indication, the money was paid but between the then Commissioner of Finance now Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana and the former chairman of the council, Professor Akpan Ekpo, the money disappeared in to thin air.
In another development two aides to his Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana are set for a major show down over the sum of six million naira which the SSG is alleged to have given to them for some purported media relations.. According to our investigation, in the heat of Akpabio’s face off with the management of an Abuja based tabloid; Fresh Fact, the two sycophants of the SSG, namely Bonny Nyong, a former production assistant with the defunct National Interest now Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Umana Umana and one Imeime Jerome a student of Uyo City Polytechnic whose stock in trade is to blackmail political office holders sold a dummy to the SSG that they needed the sum of N20m to settle journalists and columnists in the country.
Apparently to please his master and prove that he is an expert at crisis management, the SSG is said to have given the duo the some of three million in two and assured them that the governor will approve an additional sum of N7m for them to execute his media relations. According to our source who pleaded anonymity, the pair immediately left for Lagos with their girl friends where they lodged at an Ikeja based hotel for three days gallivanting with women of easy virtue.
When they got back, they reported to the SSG how they were able to pacify the western media and needed more money for the columnists. The SSG is said to have given them another N3m which is the cause of the present crisis. According to our source, Bonny Nyong has firm grip on the SSG as he is wary of all his financial deals and sexual escapades, he use this to his advantage and exploit his gullibility to the later. As such whatever he tells him, he swallows hook line and sinker, being aware of the power he wields, Bonny Nyong is alleged to be the brain behind some bad press the government has been experiencing of recent. According to our source, he spins such media stunts to get money from the SSG on the pretext of countering bad press.
When they got the N3m, Bonny Nyong is said to have handed it over to his accomplice for safe keeping while he rounded up discussion with Umana. However when he got back, he is said to have discovered to his chagrin that Jerome had disappeared in to thin air with the money. An exasperated Bonny Nyong is said to have rushed to Jerome’s place of abode along Itu road where he was told by his neighbours that they’ve not set eyes on him for days. Bonny Nyong is said to have vowed to deal with his partner for playing a fast one him.
In a related development, Integrity Alliance, an Akwa Ibom based anti corruption group has called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to commence investigation into corruption allegation leveled against Mr. Umana Okon Umana as reported in some dailies recently. Citing an article published in the penultimate week edition of the Niger Delta Standard, a legal practitioner and leader of the group, Mr. Baron Ukana said that it’s a shame that Akpabio could accommodate such a character in his government, ‘’ the presence of Umana in the Akpabio administration has rendered it morally bankrupt and the EFCC should no allow the issue to be swept under the carpet’’ he said.
….EFCC INVITES AKWA IBOM SSG AS AIDES FIGHT OVER N6 MILLION
-Citizen Reports
The anti-corruption campaign of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State may suffer a major set back as the present probe by the House of Representatives Committee on Power and Steel have uncovered a large scale fraud in the State owned Ibom Power Project.
The committee discovered that though the Obasanjo’s administration refunded the sum of $80m being the federal government counter part fund for the project, the where about of the money can not be traced. According to a source in the team, the legislators were miffed that despite the fund spent on the project, it is yet to find its feet.. When confronted, the managing director of the project Mr. Wilcox said, though he heard that government was set to release the money, but he could not confirm if it was released.
However a close source in the Akwa Ibom Investment Promotion Coucil said that from all indication, the money was paid but between the then Commissioner of Finance now Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana and the former chairman of the council, Professor Akpan Ekpo, the money disappeared in to thin air.
In another development two aides to his Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana are set for a major show down over the sum of six million naira which the SSG is alleged to have given to them for some purported media relations.. According to our investigation, in the heat of Akpabio’s face off with the management of an Abuja based tabloid; Fresh Fact, the two sycophants of the SSG, namely Bonny Nyong, a former production assistant with the defunct National Interest now Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Umana Umana and one Imeime Jerome a student of Uyo City Polytechnic whose stock in trade is to blackmail political office holders sold a dummy to the SSG that they needed the sum of N20m to settle journalists and columnists in the country.
Apparently to please his master and prove that he is an expert at crisis management, the SSG is said to have given the duo the some of three million in two and assured them that the governor will approve an additional sum of N7m for them to execute his media relations. According to our source who pleaded anonymity, the pair immediately left for Lagos with their girl friends where they lodged at an Ikeja based hotel for three days gallivanting with women of easy virtue.
When they got back, they reported to the SSG how they were able to pacify the western media and needed more money for the columnists. The SSG is said to have given them another N3m which is the cause of the present crisis. According to our source, Bonny Nyong has firm grip on the SSG as he is wary of all his financial deals and sexual escapades, he use this to his advantage and exploit his gullibility to the later. As such whatever he tells him, he swallows hook line and sinker, being aware of the power he wields, Bonny Nyong is alleged to be the brain behind some bad press the government has been experiencing of recent. According to our source, he spins such media stunts to get money from the SSG on the pretext of countering bad press.
When they got the N3m, Bonny Nyong is said to have handed it over to his accomplice for safe keeping while he rounded up discussion with Umana. However when he got back, he is said to have discovered to his chagrin that Jerome had disappeared in to thin air with the money. An exasperated Bonny Nyong is said to have rushed to Jerome’s place of abode along Itu road where he was told by his neighbours that they’ve not set eyes on him for days. Bonny Nyong is said to have vowed to deal with his partner for playing a fast one him.
In a related development, Integrity Alliance, an Akwa Ibom based anti corruption group has called on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to commence investigation into corruption allegation leveled against Mr. Umana Okon Umana as reported in some dailies recently. Citing an article published in the penultimate week edition of the Niger Delta Standard, a legal practitioner and leader of the group, Mr. Baron Ukana said that it’s a shame that Akpabio could accommodate such a character in his government, ‘’ the presence of Umana in the Akpabio administration has rendered it morally bankrupt and the EFCC should no allow the issue to be swept under the carpet’’ he said.
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