A group under the auspices of Liberated People for Transparency and Good Representation Forum in Akwa Ibom State, has debunked speculations in some quarters, especially among the Young Progressives Party supporters in the state that Governor Udom Emmanuel, indirectly interfered in the judgement which convicted the YPP governorship candidate, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, on Thursday.
Akpan who is the Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East (Uyo) senatorial district at the National Assembly was sentenced to 42 years imprisonment for corruption, in a case instituted against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2014.
The presiding judge, justice Agatha Okeke, convicted the Akwa Ibom Senator, in Uyo Akwa Ibom State, on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering and graft.
The convicted senator by the judgement is to make a restitution of N204m to the federal government to serve as a deterrent to other politicians in the country.
In a swift reaction to the judgement, the chairman of Senator Akpan’s governorship campaign Council, Sir Emem Akpabio, while calling on the supporters of the party to remain calm as the process of appeal was being intensified, alleged that the judgement was entered to please the power that is in the state.
He said: “On Thursday, December 1, 2022, Akwa Ibom State citizens not all Nigerians witnessed judicial absurdity in its rarest form. They saw how justice was turned on its head, just to please the powers that be in the state.
“That Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State could so decide to enter judgement against Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, in a suit where his innocence was glaringly obvious from day one that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission instituted it; is absolutely a travesty of justice.
“We, therefore, reject and condemn it in its entirety. The dust it has stirred against the judiciary would only be redeemable by a reversal.”
But the group in a statement by its President, Comrade Enefiok Umoh and Secretary, Edet Afia Keke, which was made available to our correspondent on Friday expressed dismay over the allegations of interference in a case that was instituted in 2014 before Governor Udom Emmanuel came to power.
Umoh argued that the EFCC has proven beyond any reasonable doubt the need for the Senator’s prosecution, based on the shreds of evidence so brought before the court.
According to him “The case is crystal clear and does not have any political colouration as the facts of the matter were kept bare before the court, and an appropriate verdict given in line with the law.
“On May 10, 2010, Obong Bassey Albert Akpan(then the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance) was alleged to have received from Jide Omokore, a businessman (who was later picked by the EFCC for questioning), a BMW X5 (Bulletproof) worth N50 million; in December 2012 another Infinity QX 56(bulletproof) worth N45 million was also received from the same source, and four other luxury vehicles worth millions of naira each.
“Quite interesting is the fact that it was Leo Ekpenyong, a strong supporter of Bassey Albert (who equally dragged Godswill Akpabio to the EFCC, though he later dropped Akpabio’s case but held on to the Senator’s case) petitioned Bassey Albert to the EFCC in 2014 when Governor Udom Emmanuel was not yet a governor.
“OBA was arrested; the bulletproof vehicles were recovered and statements of accounts he paid the said monies to were traced, tendered and admitted in court as evidence. He was later granted bail because he pleaded not guilty and continued to battle with the case since then till yesterday when the case was decided.”
“If the YPP are not satisfied with the judgment, there are legal means to seek redress and not to start instigating members of the public against the governor using interpersonal deceptive theory. This is condemnable and would not be tolerated.
“The law is a respecter of no man, and whoever offends the law should be ready to face the consequences, or make use of the available avenues known to law to seek redress.
“This is simply an attempt to cause unnecessary infraction in the state and incite the people against the state government and its functionaries.”
Also reacting to the development, a Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Media, Richard Peters, exonerated the governor from the allegations of interference.
He said a “cursory look into the character of Governor Udom Emmanuel clearly shows that he doesn’t play politics of bitterness and hatred. The Governor is a man that believes in the rule of law and respects democratic principles.
“It amounts to gross ignorance and strange to attempt to perceive the governor as a vindictive clown, an attempt that has already failed a reality test. Governor Udom Emmanuel will continue to play politics with a human face and good conscience, and no amount of deceit peddled around can change this glaring fact.”
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