Senator Godswill Akpabio in providing explanations on the report of raid on his business premises by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in search of generators and hospital equipments allegedly diverted by the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Minority Leader in the Senate, admitted the visit of the ICPC to Cottage Hospital, though, on a different mission, according to him. He, however, denied ownership of business premises.
Akpabio in a statement by Anietie Ekong, his Special Assistant on Media, accessed byNational Daily, protested what he considered “a sensational report circulating in the social media about a purported raid by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) of a business premises owned by Senator Akpabio over alleged diversion of generators and hospital equipment.” He maintained: “The report is totally unfounded as Senator Akpabio does not own any business premises.”
The embattled Senator acknowledged that the fact of the matter is that some operatives of the ICPC led by Tiku; and the Border Community Development Agency led by Engr. Susan, have been in communication with the contractor handling the contract for the supply of hospital equipment to Cottage Hospital, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, a project, he initiated.
The statement indicated that, “On July 9, 2019 the said officials of the ICPC and Border Community Development Agency informed an aide of Senator Akpabio that they were tracking constituency projects and would be glad to be shown to projects which Senator Akpabio has executed…”
It was highlighted that among the projects visited by the team included a fully built and completed Skills Acquisition Centre in Ikot Ekpene and the Recreation Centre at the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana.
The team were said to be shown the medical equipment and generators which were kept in a warehouse which shares the same fence with the hospital.
The statement indicated that the officials were very impressed with the execution of the projects and commended Akpabio for the faithful execution of the projects even when the full contract sums were yet to be paid. “They promised to make recommendations to appropriate agency for the payment of the outstanding contract sums,” it was added.
It was disclosed that the ICPC and Border Community Development Agency officials also visited the Cottage Hospital, Ukana, where the Medical Superintendent, Dr. Mary Paulinus Udoh, acknowledged receipt of the medical equipment. The Medical Superintendent was said to have before the officials praised Akpabio for his interventions in the hospital, including the donation of a dialysis machine.
The statement indicated that and all the parties agreed that the generators should be formally handed over to the hospital on July 10, 2019 by 10.00 am.
Some stakeholders in Akwa Ibom had asked why the handover was not done before the visit, arguing that the ICPC may have gone to recover the property but perhaps, may not want to take further actions as required of their mandate.
However, the statement argued that Senator Akpabio can hardly be faulted in the execution of constituency projects. It was emphasized that the senator has initiated and completed 88 constituency projects cutting across Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and even extending to the other two Senatorial Districts in Akwa Ibom State with projects in Udung Uko and Ibiono in Eket and Uyo Senatorial Districts, respectively.
“This is unprecedented. Even though most of the projects have not been fully paid for, most of them have been completed and put to use by benefiting communities,” it was highlighted.
The officials of the Border Community Development Agency were said to have created the impression that after the verification and tracking of the projects, they would make recommendations to appropriate agencies for the payment of outstanding balance of the contract sums to the contractors.
Again, Akwa ibom State stakeholders asked why the recommendation to appropriate agencies when the constituency projects were initiatives of Senator Akpabio.
Akpabio then argued: “It, therefore, smacks of mischief taken too far that while the contractor, as agreed by the Hospital Management, was making arrangements for forklift to carry the heavy duty generators and formally hand them over to the Hospital Management, some political jobbers went to town about a purported raid and diversion of the same equipment duly acknowledged by the Management of the hospital.
“We, therefore, urge the general public to discountenance this malicious report as fictitious, baseless and unfounded.
“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains committed to the welfare of the good people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District whom he had given effective representation as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Akwa ibom State stakeholders maintained that whatever explanation is offered to defend Akpabio, the good thing is that the generators and hospital equipments have been recovered and ordered to be delivered to the hospital. They asked why the storage in the warehouse and why the release on the visit of ICPC officials. The explanations of the former governor, they maintained, does not connect with the realities, adding that the senator is yet to disprove the earlier report which many people in Akwa Ibom State chose to believe.