‘The Jonah that prevented the boat to move has now left the boat’ – Dr Ekarika on Akpabio’s defection

In regards to Akpabio’s defection, Dr. Udoma Ekarika had a few things to say concerning Akpabio’s defection to APC and the impact it was going to have on Akwa Ibom in the long run.

Dr. Udoma Ekarika who defected to the PDP once Akpabio joined the APC was an influential commissioner in the Obong Victor Attah administration and according to him, aided in the appointment of Godswill Akpabio as commissioner in that government.
According to Ekarika, Akwa Ibom’s progress as a state had always been hindered as a result of Akpabio. He also believed that with Akpabio gone from the picture, the state will finally move forward as a whole. While speaking on Akpabio’s defection, he said “For Akwa Ibom as a state, it means that the Jonah that was in the boat that made the boat not to move has left the boat and the boat will now move very freely. I can also say that somebody who was the cog of the wheel and stopped the development and progress of Akwa Ibom State has voluntarily left the wheel and the wheel will now move freely”.

In addition, Ekarika added that while in office, Akpabio did not serve any useful purpose to the people of Akwa Ibom state. He was of the opinion that Akpabio was only propagating his personal interests from the beginning to the end of his defection. Ekarika also added that there were certain negative occurrences that only occurred while Akpabio was in power such as politically motivated assassination, kidnappings and rape cases. According to him, these crimes did not occur before Akpabio came into power and has ceased to occur since he left the office of the governor. He went further to add that despite the tag ‘uncommon transformation’ given to Akpabio’s term in government, the people and the state only continued to get poorer.

Furthermore, Ekarika was of the opinion that funds were mismanaged during Akpabio’s term in office. He raved that while Obong Attah was in the office of the governor, he was allocated 250 million naira. Obong Attah utilised this money to pay salaries, cater for the state, conceived signature projects and others despite the lean resources presented to him. When Akpabio came into power, he lied that he met an empty treasury with the debt burden of over 45 billion naira. However, 11.6 billion naira was allocated for that and the money was spent by Akpabio, Ekarika said. He also added that when the then Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonji-Iweala challenged Akpabio as regards funds mismanagement but Akpabio did not respond to the allegation.

Speaking on Akpabio’s defection, Dr Udoma Ekarika said “Akpabio gave his reason for defecting saying that he wanted to connect the Akwa Ibom and the South-South to the government in the center? Who is he in the first place? When we talk of South-South who is Akpabio? Where does he come and who does he know in this country? He was making noise”.

Finally, speaking on the insinuations that Akpabio was hounded by the EFFC, Ekarika said that there is always a day of reckoning for anyone who has ever been in public office. He added that even he as a former commissioner was called for questioning but that the most important thing is to give account. He said “All I know is that if he had been mismanaging the resources of Akwa Ibom state, the day of reckoning is coming. Akpabio collected more than three trillions for eight years. Does Akwa Ibom look like a state that has collected three trillions?”

When Akpabio came into power, he lied that he met an empty treasury with the debt burden of over 45 billion naira. However, 11.6 billion naira was allocated for that and the money was spent by Akpabio, Ekarika said.

According to Buhari's media aide Bashir, Akpabio stole nearly N900b, I wonder when he would be probed.

Ababio is now an orphan. What a pity.