Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has debunked an online report that said he was denied entry visa by the United States of America Embassy in Abuja over corruption and other allegations.
Recall that an online news platform had reported that the former governor’s visa application was turned down because the President Donald Trump administration is in possession of petitions filed against the minister for series of murders, corruption and right abuses while he served as governor of Akwa Ibom State.
The news platform alleged that after the former governor applied for visa, the officer in charge told him to drop his passport and return to collect it later. However when he returned to get the visa he was told his application was declined.
But in statement signed by the minister’s Chief Press Secretary, Anietie Ekong, Akpabio asked Nigerians to disregard the story, describing the report as a fabricated story aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
“The truth is that on February 20, 2020, Senator Akpabio and the wife, Mrs Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio appeared at the United States of America Embassy in Abuja to renew their visas. Being regular visitors to the United States of America both of them were granted the visas.
“It smacks of junk journalism for anybody to fabricate the story that Senator Akpabio was denied entry visa to US for whatever reason.
The current minister of Niger Delta served as governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the build up to the 2019 general election.