A media project group, on Monday described as mischievous and politically motivated, the call by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) for the arrest and investigation of Sen. Godswill Akpabio.
Mr Leo Ekpenyong, the Managing Director of De-Bongos Media Project, who made the assertion in statement in Abuja, said the call was ill-motivated and should be totally ignored by meaningful Nigerians.
Recently, the media had been replete with reports of calls for Apkabio not to be nominated as a minister in the President Muhammadu Buhari cabinet due to alleged corruption in the office as a senator.
“It should be noted that these incessant calls and smear campaigns against Akpabio started shortly before his nomination by President Muhammadu Buhari as a Minister-designate and was amplified immediately thereafter.
“An indepth but independent investigation into the false allegations of SERAP, reveals that they are not only economical with the truth, but have become an appendage and willing tool in the hands of vendetta-seeking, dubious and desperate politicians.
“We are aware that a certain public servant currently serving in Buhari’s government, having failed in his lobbying for ministerial appointment is disgruntled and has resorted to inundating media houses and venal civil society groups with spurious claims of graft against Senator Godswill Akpabio, a minister-designate from Akwa Ibom State.
According to him, this veiled, subterranean antics of this known politician includes leading campaigns of vicious calumny replete with malicious intent to traduce the character of a man who has been vindicated by his proven records of inimitable and outstanding performance.’’
Epkeyong said the senator’s achievements could be attested to and they include the supplies of hospital equipment, provision of solar-powered boreholes, VIP toilets, construction of markets across the 10 local government areas of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial district.
“And donation of skills acquisition/recreational centers – all are eloquent expressions of Senator Akpabio’s stellar performance just in four years.
“To further demonstrate his magnanimity and undying love for his people beyond boundaries, Akpabio donated an ambulance with medical components comprising 150 mattresses and pillows to the cottage hospital in Ibiono -Ibom local goverment area where Senator Ita Enang hails from.
“It should be noted also that the above mentioned hospital equipment and facilities donated to Ibiono- Ibom local goverment area is situated in Uyo senatorial district where Senator Akpabio neither hails from nor represent.
“In furtherance of his uncommon gesture of positively touching and affecting the lives of his people in
the most uncommon ways, he extended life touching and transformational facilities and amenities to the third Senatorial District (Eket Senatorial District).
Ekpenyong said there he built, renovated and furnished dilapidated classroom blocks with state of the art borehole and water storage facilities in Community Secondary School, Udung-Uko Local Government Area in Gov. Udom Emmanuel’s Onna Local Government Area.
