The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, on Saturday distanced the state government from the ₦700 billion fraud allegation leveled against his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel.
The former governor was questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N700 billion fraud during the week.
This followed a petition by a group, the Network against Corruption and Trafficking.
The group had in a petition to the EFCC alleged that the ex-governor received N3 trillion from the Federation Account in eight years but left a debt profile of N500 billion.
The petitioner also claimed that Emmanuel left unpaid ongoing projects worth N300 billion and did not account for N700 billion.
Eno, who spoke at a town hall meeting in the Abak area of the state on Saturday, condemned the treatment of South-South governors since 1999.
He warned that vilification of governors after they had completed their terms would discourage current office holders from giving their best while in service.
He said: “I don’t know where they get those figures from because it can’t be from Akwa Ibom State; it can’t be from us – we don’t have such figures.
“I begin to feel that how we treat our leaders after they have put in all their efforts to serve can be very discouraging.
“We have done this consistently from Obong Attah, even the distinguished Senate President (Godswill Akpabio), we also vilified him; we went to EFCC. Now, we are doing it to Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“I’m already expecting that it will happen to me, but what this does is to discourage leadership; it discourages you from giving your best, from burning out yourself because at the end of the day, the people don’t show you that gratitude.”
Source: Ripples