Network Against Corruption and Trafficking Initiative ,NACAT, has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ,EFCC, to investigate former governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, over alleged misappropriation of state funds.
The group, which made the call in a petition to the EFCC against the former governor in Abuja, accused him of diverting over N1.5 trillion state funds.
The News Agency of Nigeria ,NAN, reports that the petition was signed by its Executive Director, Investigation, Fejiro Tega; Operation Manager, Stanley Ugabe; and Michael Ekpo; with Victor Thompson for Akwa Ibomites.
“As a leading anti-corruption group in Nigeria, we will be failing in our duties and responsibilities if we turn a blind eye to the wanton corruption and embezzlement of public funds orchestrated by former Gov. Udom Emmanuel.
“We have painstakingly investigated and audited many of the financial records of the state available to us and detailed our findings here as part of our petition.
“The diversion of funds and primitive massive acquisition of properties by Udom and his family members, has left the residents and indigenes of the state wondering why the EFCC has not invited him for questioning and prosecution”, the group wrote.
NACAT noted that, in spite of the over N3 trillion that came into the Akwa Ibom State coffers under the eight years tenure of Udom, a staggering sum of N700 billion could not be accounted for.
“The former governor yet left a debt profile of over N500 billion and unpaid ongoing projects worth over N300 billion, with abandoned projects littered all over the state”, it stated.
NACAT said that the former governor, through his cronies, allegedly awarded contracts to companies owned by his allies through which funds were siphoned from the state’s coffers.
It alleged that Emmanuel diverted the state’s funds through security votes, which were never given to the security agents that it was meant for.
According to the group, over N4.5 billion was withdrawn and claimed to be given to security agencies in a space of six months, while over N10 billion was spent in 2018 alone, as security votes.
The anti-corruption organisation accused the former governor of spending over N100 billion to build 31 industries that never saw the light of the day.
