The group stated that Governor Udom had superintended over the most financially lucrative period in the history of the state without any commensurate benefits for the people.
A civil society group, the Vanguard for Accountability and Transparency Initiative (VATI) has called on Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, to disclose the source of the funds lavished on his new castle in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
The group made the call in a statement on Thursday stating that Governor Udom had superintended over the most financially lucrative period in the history of the state without any commensurate benefits for the people.
They decried the spate of white elephant projects of the Udom administration including the Peacock Paints Factory which had gone moribund, the abandoned Ibom Science Park and the multi-billion Naira Dakkada Towers which had remained unoccupied and unused despite the billions of Naira spent on it.
The group also alleged that the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led government had failed to account for the multiple payments received from the Federal Government under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Meanwhile, the governor is owing pensions and gratuities in excess of N38billion, giving rise to a situation where senior citizens of the state were dying due to inability to pay for basic medical treatment and medications.
SaharaReporters had exclusively obtained the pictures of Udom's posh luxurious castle-like Mansion in the very exclusive high-brow Ikoyi area of Lagos.
Hence, the group wants the governor to explain “how he was able to acquire such real estate when the vast majority of the people were wallowing in abject poverty.”
Sources revealed that Governor Udom acquired the prime real estate in Lagos which is valued at over N1.4billion alongside other choice properties.
The group reiterates that in view of Governor Udom's financial mismanagement, “he had become very desperate in his plot to impose his anointed Successor, Umo Eno as governor in order to cover his tracks and perpetuate the looting of Akwa Ibom State funds.”
However, the quest to plant his stooge as successor has been besought by numerous controversies and setbacks including allegations of certificate forgery and fraud in various courts.
Only recently, a Federal High Court in Abuja presided by Fadima Aminu sacked Mr. Umo Eno as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State and ordered the PDP to submit the name of Michael Enyong to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate.