Dear Sir: Reading The Nation newspaper of December 10, 2009, page 5 was a caption “AKPABIO CLEARED OF MONEY LAUNDERING ALLEGATION”. This was attributed to an Abuja-based Centre for Media and Development (CDC), which the newspaper said “has debunked media reports linking Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio to the $3.1million discovered at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Ikeja”. One Magnus Eze said to be the director of CDC was quoted as having signed a statement to the effect.
The statement was said to have adduced that the $3.1million belonged to a bank, was being ferried under mandate by a bank official and that the cash was meant for the hajj operation; this according to it (CDC) was after it had conducted investigation to the issue.
Nevertheless, there are many grey areas the CDC did not clarify: It set out wrongly to say that it was at the “International Airport”; whereas it was at the “Local Airport”. How did CDC know that Akpabio was the governor that the front page story that in the Sunday Guardian edition of 6/12/09 was referring to? When has the CDC become an investigator and who are the people that make up the CDC and how do they earn their money; is it an NGO? Why was the bank official arrested in the first instance and detained for some days before the matter was referred to the Police Headquarters in Abuja; if the bank official was under any mandate? Which hajj operation and when has bank deviated from their e-banking? When has banks started carrying unescorted cash of such magnitude? Why has CDC come this late to clear Akpabio or was it a delay occasioned to allow for 'political' settlement of a matter? There are so many other questions that the CDC, whoever they are, need to answer. No wonder, only one newspaper, The Nation, published the story of the CDC.
This looks like a smokescreen to cover up looting by people in authority. The Police must not compromise in their work. As a matter of fact the case should be referred to the EFCC. The public is watching with full and keen interest to see how this matter goes; another litmus.
Chief Barnabas Osuanlele
189 Ikpoba Road
Benin City
[email protected]
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