From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm over what it tagged as a dangerous campaign of calumny and a desperate move to run down the towering profile of Senator George Akume with a view to weakening his chances of emerging as the National Chairman of the Party.
State Chairman-elect Austin Agada, who raised the concern at a press conference held at the party’s secretariat on Friday, said that the attacks on Akume who is the leader of the Party in the state were brewed consistently over time and unleashed with great mischief.
Recall that the state government had recently dragged Akume to anti-graft agencies over alleged financial impropriety amounting to more than N4,556,899,632.9 billion naira when he served as Governor between 1999 and 2007.
The Benue State Government has asked the antigraft agencies to investigate the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume over financial impropriety amounting to more than N4,556,899,632.9 billion naira when he served as Governor.
The state government had alleged that the financial fraud ranged from misappropriation of public funds, approvals above limit, abuse of office and public trust as well as the sale of 33,440,818 of shares at the Benue Investment and Property Company, BIPC valued at billions of naira without recourse to due process.
A letter of complaint the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC; Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC and the Inspector General of Police was written and signed by counsels to the Benue State Government, Okeoga Darlington, Esq and made available to newsmen by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Michael Gusa.
But reacting, Agada who spoke on behalf of the newly elected executives of the party, insisted that Senator Akume is one of the very few Nigerian past governors without criminal records.
“The target of this campaign of calumny, we ultimately know is to lower Senator George Akume who is highly celebrated by many Nigerians in the eyes of the public, thereby weakening his chances of emerging as the National Chairman of the APC, now that majority of APC members across all states of the federation are clamouring for his emergence to the position.
“Let it be known to all APC faithful and the whole world that the fraud allegation currently levelled against Senator Akume by Governor Ortom and his government is clearly an act of political witch-hunt.
“Why conjure a haphazard probe report about the Akume administration of many years now? The same government had levelled a 107 billion naira allegation against Gabriel Suswam’s administration but later nullified the same, will the same government not overrule itself tomorrow over these frivolous reports that seek to indict Senator Akume today,” Agada asked rhetorically.