Akwa Ibom State government has denied receiving the N30 billion Federal Government’s cash disbursement to states to cushion the effects of the prevailing socio-economic hardship as opposed to what was said by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The state further stated that, in order to adequately meet the needs of the populace during these difficult times, the administration has supplemented the Federal Government’s package with billions of dollars in cash and food items.
Of the original N5 billion repayable loan given to states with 3,000 bags of rice as an oil subsidy removal palliative, only N2 billion was received, with N3 billion still outstanding.
The state government’s response followed the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), a civil society organization (CSO), demanding that the state government accurately account for the N30 billion, N5 billion palliative cash disbursement, and various other monthly federal allocations to state and local government areas from the center.
Otuekong Franklin Isong, the state director of CHRAN, stated that the population needed to make the call in order to monitor and hold the government responsible for the governance process.
“CHRAN recalled that the Federal Government had released the sum of N5 billion and 3,000 bags of rice to the Government of Akwa Ibom State for the people of the state as palliatives to cushion the effect of the withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
“CHRAN urged the governor of Akwa Ibom State to account for the N5 billion and the other palliatives released to the state government by the Federal Government including the recent N30 billion as declared by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio,” Isong stated.
In response, however, the state administration refuted the claims, claiming they were contrived falsehoods meant to fan the flames of unrest and sow discord among the populace.
The governor’s chief press secretary, Mr. Ekerete Udoh, responded to the accusations on behalf of the governor by criticizing CHRAN’s handling of the matter and pointing out that it was a poorly thought-out untruth without any fact-checking.
He insisted that the N2 billion that the state government had received from the federal government was provided as a loan facility that the state government was required to repay, and that it had even been requested to do so.
This followed the denial by Oyo State Governor Sèyí Mákindé on behalf of Governors that the Federal Government didn’t allocate N30bn to any of the State Governors.
