Akpabio’s senate president dream shattered as Tinubu rejects people with corrupt case with EFCC

By Anita Godfrey -Delta

The former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godwin Akpabio’s dream of becoming the Senate president of the 10th Assembly hangs on the tree following the assertion of president-elect Bola Tinubu that people with corruption cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC will not be allowed to take over leadership in the 10th national assembly to avoid distraction.

This brings to mind that the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, was re-invited by the EFCC for interrogation over an investigation regarding corruption allegations against him on 13th April 2023.

He was asked to appear before the anti-graft agency on May 9, 2023, to answer allegations of N40 billion fraud.

A petition before the EFCC indicted him of alleged N40 billion fraud in the Niger Delta Development Commission, which was headed by Akpabio for three years.

It was gathered that in 2020, the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to investigate him for the alleged N40 billion financial recklessness of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.

The former minister was now among the front-line gladiators of the Senate president of the 10th national assembly, but if the president-elect was serious with what he said regarding stopping people with EFCC cases on their necks, Akpabio’s dream is already shattered.

Recall, there are other fraud allegations of over N86 billion contract scams involving Akpabio and a former Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei, which the EFCC had been investigating.
The senator-elect had been once arrested by the anti-graft agency following an alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds.

The anti-graft body had earlier invited Akpabio to appear for questioning on March 29 but his lawyer, Umeh Kalu, SAN, in a letter to the anti-graft agency alleged that his client was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia.

Akpabio’s lawyer while pleading with the EFCC to reschedule the questioning to a new date, had insisted that Akpabio would be unable to honour the invitation on March 29 due to alleged ill health, adding that the Senator-elect had already arranged medical appointments overseas.

He said, “As mentioned in our last letter to you dated February 10, 2023, our client is undergoing treatment for pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia, and, has recently been advised to seek further attention abroad.

“It is in the light of the above that we respectfully request that our client’s appointment with you be rescheduled to a date convenient to your officers, preferably after the forthcoming Easter and Ramadan holidays,” the letter from Kalu dated March 27, 2023, reads.

In the letter dated April 13, 2023, which was received by Akpabio’s lawyers, Seasons Law Firm, the EFCC requested Akpabio to come to its headquarters in Abuja on May 9, 2023.

The letter titled, ‘Investigation Activities Re: Senator Godswill Akpabio’s Appointment Letter Of Invitation’ was signed by ACE II SM Ala, Head, CMU-1.

“I refer to your letter number dated March 27, 2023, on the above subject. Given the above, you are kindly requested to inform your client Senator Godswill Akpabio to personally report for an interview with the undersigned through the Head, CMU-1 team on May 9, 2023, at the 5th Floor, EFCC Headquarters Plot 301/302 Institutions and Research District. Jabi, Abuja at 10:00 am.”

Conclusively, considering the huge financial allegations against the former minister of Niger Delta, it will be fair that he should be put on a platform to be investigated if Tinubu is that agent of change Nigerians are yearning for.