APC petitions EFCC over alleged diversion of relief materials for Bakassi IDPs

Ostensiblely stemming from the flurry of complaints emanating from Cross River State Government, Senator Florence Ita Giwa and the Internally Displaced People (IDP) of Bakassi, the All Progressives Congress (APC) South South has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to urgently commence investigations on the matter.

This, the party said, is awith a view to ascertaining the whereabouts the materials estimated at millions of naira.

The party demanded for prompt intervention to stop the deluge of attack that may lead to tension in Bakassi in particular and Cross River State in general.

The opposition party in a petition titled ‘Shortchanging of Bakassi people, incitement against Senator Florence Ita-Giwa: A Call for Prompt and Thorough Investigations and Prosecution,’ made available to our correspondent dated June 19th 2017, requested for thorough investigations and accordingly prosecute perpetrators of the act of sabotage and crime against humanity.

In the petition signed by the National Vice Chairman (South South) Ntufam Hilliard Eta, the party said the issue in question is the orchestrated plot by the Senator Ben Ayade junta to incite the people of Bakassi Local Government Area against their political leader, Senator Ita-Giwa and by extension cause her violent attack and embarrassment by her people.

“We recall that recently there was a fire outbreak at Atai Ema Community in Dayspring Island, Bakassi local government area following which, Senator Ita-Giwa demonstrated her humanitarian and leadership disposition by requesting the intervention of the federal government to assuage the plight of the victims”

“The National Commission for Refugees responded by donating relief materials to the victims after the Commission in concert with the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. John Inaku, some SEMA officials and media personnel from the NTA, Channels TV, AIT, CRBC, Punch and The Nation Newspapers visited to confirm and ascertain the level of damage.

“Princess Ita-Giwa had suggested that the relief items be kept in the custody of SEMA pending distribution to the victims. That suggestion was actually accepted as the SEMA DG, Mr. Inaku took delivery of the said items for custody.

However, few days after the custody of the materials, the Governor, we are told directed the DG of SEMA to release the items to a committee, members of whom were all drawn from the PDP” the petition added

The committee, Eta disclosed, had since evacuated the relief items from the SEMA store purporting to distribute same to the victims but has not delivered and or distributed same to the affected persons, an indication that the items must have been diverted.

In fact, we have it on good authority that the items have been distributed amongst cronies and politicians loyal to Prof. Ayade without recourse to the affected persons.

“To confirm the initial rumor of diversion, Senator Ita-Giwa and of course some of the victims requested an investigation into the matter, in the wake of which the state Police Command traced some of the items to the private residence of Mr. Udeme Effiong, a committee member and one of Ayade’s loyalists.

The recovered items were taken to the Police headquarters along Diamond Hills, Calabar for custody.

“We are particularly worried that the attempt to cover up the menacing situation has produced a whiff of tension and insecurity coming the way of Senator Ita-Giwa following the barrage of smear from the senator Ayade junta.

The intention of the junta to incite the people of Bakassi against Senator Ita-Giwa as the one at the center of the relief materials diversion is not only causing her serious social embarrassment but also exposing her to security threat.

“Senator Ita-Giwa is only struggling to come out of the scenario and our fears are that with the surge in insecurity in the state, prowling hoodlums can take advantage of the situation to attack her violently.

It should be record therefore, that this onslaught against her is understandably coming on the heels of her recent defection from the PDP to the APC as well as her blunt refusal to yield to the overtures of the junta to make a detour to the sinking PDP.”