‘Stealing’ in the name of Only God?
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom walks a tight-rope in a daunting struggle to prove himself a prudent manager amidst mounting allegations of fraudulent spending and budgetary infraction.
“Only God” Effect
In the build up to the 2019 governorship election in Akwa Ibom, a gigantic banner was hoisted at the Ikot Ekpene Road Roundabout where the Fallen Dakkada statue used to stand. On the campaign banner was the innocent image of Governor Udom Emmanuel with the inscription, “Only God”, the campaign slogan of the Divine Mandate, the governor’s campaign team.
A University of Uyo female lecturer who was passing by the banner for the first time could not help but exclaimed: “Oh Udom Emmanuel, ‘Only God’? They have abandoned you but may the ”Only God” see you through.”
That statement was significant. For one thing, it came at a time of the ‘Uncommon Defection’ of Udom Emmanuel’s predecessor and godfather, Senator Godswill Akpabio who left the governor when he needed him most.
Former governor Godswill Akpabio had almost single-handedly imposed Governor Udom Emmanuel on Akwa Ibom people in 2015 only to abandoned the embattled governor in his second term bid just few months to the election to the dismay of the people. As if that was not enough, Akpabio’s undoing came when he allegedly mocked the campaign slogan by querying: ‘Where was the “Only God” when I installed Udom against all odds.’
To Akwa Ibom people, who are highly reliigious with strong belief in supernatural power, that was a heresy, a political joke taken too far. Analysts say that statement boomeranged and attracted sympathetic supports to Udom as more and more people sought to prove that there is no impossibility with God.
Emmanuel, whose name literarily means, God is with us, got his support base boosted when a coalition of religious leaders in the state, who called themselves Fathers of Faith, declared support for his reelection.
And so at the end of 2019 election, Governor Udom Emmanuel did not only win the election but saw Senator Godswill Akpabio lost his bid to return to the Senate in what perceived was the power of “Only God” over ‘Federal Might’. So the governor did not only steal the show, but did so in a grand style.
Expectations delayed…
But the euphoria that greeted Udom’s victory came with high expectations from the people and residents of the state, who were eager to see a government charaterised by transparency and fear of God. These expectations were further heightened by the governor’s persistent claim and insistence on prudent management and harnessing of the state resources for the benefits of ordinary people.
The governor has not hidden his hatred for what has come to be known as corporate begging and has made it clear that he is not prepared to throw money around, a phenomenon that made the administration of his godfather thick
A message on a mighty billboard at Wellington Bassey Way near Government House, Uyo, is a daily reminder to those who keep coming to the Hilltop Mansion to solicit for tips from the governor of the need to steer clear.
He believes in investing the funds in ventures that would help Akwa Ibom people learn how to fish rather than give them fish.
But more than five years down the line, about one and a half into Governor Udom Emmanuel”s second term, Akwa Ibom people appear to be losing weight waiting to feel the impact of the governor’s policy.
There is hunger in the land. The biting effects of employment, COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown and the recent #End SARS protest connive to worsen economic situations and craete anxieties and desperation among the people.
Tortoise pace-ongoing -abandoned projects:
The quality and slow pace of works in the state further consolidate the doubts and suspicions in people’s hearts about the readiness of Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration to turn things around for good. Most of the projects initiated since the governor’s first term are still ongoing, using the language of government.
But critics appear to be vindicated every passing day for insisting that those projects have been abandoned. Emerging facts tend to prove that Akwa Ibom projects are not well funded.
Fraud Allegation:
Today, the the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel has been rocked to the bottom with a multi-billion naira fraud allegation in the 2019 budget expenditures, including extra budgetary infraction. Never in the history of Akwa Ibom State has a government come under such attack and scrutiny.
Trouble started when two of Akwa Ibom finest journalists, Ekemini Simon and Abasifreke Effiong published a lengthy investigative story indicting almost all government Ministries, Depertments and Agencies, including the Accountant General and SSG’s Offices of extra budgetary infractions.
The report had alleged massive fraud in the 2019 annual report and audited financial statement
The report had put the state government on its toes and all government officials could put up was a lame defence that attempted to pass the buck on coding errors and Auditor General’s Office. And the strongest point of this administration, prudent management, has become a laughing stock, with some critics hitting the governor below the belt.
Concept of Stealing
Politicians are never guilty of stealing. As custodians of people’s resources, the highest they could be accused of is embezzlement. Interestingly, Governor Udom Emmanuel’s critics neither accused him embezzlement nor stealing. Arguably, his major undoing has extra- and over-spending but that in itself is an infraction, given the governor’s disposition.
Against this background, Governor Udom Emmanuel”s major critic and Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang has insisted that the governor cannot be exonerated from fraudulent spending.
According to Senator Ita Enang, the governor’s sin involves misapplication, misappropriation and fraudulent spending.
“You cannot say that I am an eternal critic of Governor Udom Emmanuel. Of course you know I’ve always commended him on areas of security, even though there are lapses here and there. You are also aware that I commend the government for the management of Ibom Air, but on misappropriation of public funds, and fraudulent spending? The Governor cannot be exonerated on that,” Senator Ita Enang had insisted.
He expressed dismay over the spate of excessive spending in the state the people are struggling to make decent living.
Senator Ita Enang, who decried high level of misapplication and misappropriation in the state, attributed them to insecurity, especially in the last oil producing communities.
“The state governments have misapplied, misappropriated and diverted funds owned by oil communities. This has made the oil communities very hostile for the oil companies. This is why they cannot relocate to the communities,” he said.
The development has raised more questions than answers.
How can a prudent manager budgeted and spent huge sum of money on maintenance of private aircraft that does not contribute a Kobo to the state treasury when several internal roads have been abandoned for lack of funds?
How come government acquire properties and amass wealth in a government that claims there is no money?
“Our state government is one of the most corrupt in Nigeria if not the most corrupt. A commissioner bought a property in Shelter Afrique worth 110 million naira within 24 hours of having a knowledge of the existence of the property.
“If a Commissioner can mobilize such funds to purchase a property for himself within such a short notice, one wonders how much he has stolen so far,” one commentator had observed.
Derailing in Duty?
As Senator Ita Enang noted, Governor Udom Emmanuel, like King Saul of Israel, started creditably well in the course of his duty but detailed in the process. The question begging for answer is: Where has the governor hone wrong?
Huge debt profile
N12.5 billion Debt Servicing
There are strong allegations that the governor appears to be serving some undisclosed debts against his will. A large junk of these debts was purported incurred by his predecessor and godfather in a bid to install him as governor in 2015.
This seems to explain why the transition committee of Governor Udom Emmanuel failed to include the financial status of state prior to his swearing-in in 2015 and despite repeated outcries it took the governor nearly five years to admit that he met some debts in the Treasury.
This was a complete departure from the report of Akpabio’s transition committee which was quick to claim that the governor met an empty Treasury.
