Efio-Ita Nyok|1 October 2016
Ifere Paul, Cross River leading social commentator two days ago, through his legal counsel, communicated his request to the Executive Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, to be furnished with details on his receipt of a certain N6,000,000,000 which emanated from the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for the resettlement of the displaced Bakassi people. Mr Paul has given Mr Ayade four days to respond to his request. Excerpt:
*29th September, 2016
His Excellency,
Senator Benedict Ayade,
The Executive Governor of Cross River State,
Governor’s Office,
Calabar.
Your Excellency,
REQUEST TO CONFIRM THE RECEIPT OF THE SUM OF N6 BILLION BY YOU FROM ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN BEING PART OF BAKASSI RESETTLEMENT FUNDS FEW DAYS BEFORE HE LEFT OFFICE.
We are writing to make this request to you on the above subject matter pursuant to our instructions from IFERE PAUL. The said Paul Ifere is hereinafter referred to as “Our Client”.
Our Client has specifically and specially instructed us to inquire from you and to be also furnished with details (if any) showing whether or not you collected the sum of N6 billion as BAKASSI RESETTLEMENT FUNDS from Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan/his administration in the last days of his administration.
Information at our Client's disposal show that such huge sum was received purporting to be for the resettlement of the Bakassi displaced people and there is no record to show how it was spent.
This verification from you is necessary because you are the Chief Accounting Officer of the government of Cross River State and every diligent search to ascertain where such money was declared in the books of account of the State has proven that no such money was reflected anywhere howsoever.
You will agree that our Client is among the few Cross Riverians desirous of getting the Bakassi properly resettled.
Our Client is of the opinion that if such amount was indeed collected for the State, the same should be reflected and used for the purpose it was meant to serve.
NOTE: There had been claims and counter-claims against the Federal Government not settling the displayed Bakassi people.
Our Client’s instruction to us as his Solicitors is to make this request to you and also to give you opportunity to state what you know about the said money within four (4) days. Our final step is to raise alarm calling the EFCC to investigate the matter thoroughly before he is blackmailed as dishing out to the public unverified sensational information against Governor Ben Ayade.
NOTE: A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE.
Our Client's warm regards.
Chief Barr. Utum Eteng
Solicitor to IFERE PAUL
*It would be recalled that a renowned public affairs analyst and currently the Special Adviser to the President on Prosecution, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, recently said that, 'Facts are emerging that former President Jonathan ordered the release of N6 Billion to the Government of Cross River State two weeks before he left office on the 29th May 2015 as final tranche of the money the Federal Government had earmarked to compensate the State for loss of the 76 oil wells and transfer of the sovereignty of the Bakassi'.
Obla further revealed that, 'The money was one of assets of the State inherited by Governor Ben Ayade when he took over the reins of power in the State on the 29th May 2015. The former Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke also did not disclose this fact before he left office. Curiously and inexplicably, Governor Ayade never told the people of the State that he inherited such a huge sum of money from his predecessor! Despite this huge N6 Billion inherited from his predecessor, in July 2015, the Federal Government gave a bail out fund of about N8 billion to Cross River State to enable it government pay accumulated arrears of salary running for six months to civil servants in the State!'
'More importantly, this N6 Billion was never captured in the Cross River State Appropriation Law of 2015 as required by Law! Was this humongous sum of money diverted or misappropriated?', Chief Obla finally submitted.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of NegroidHaven.org
