Security report reaching Mid-Week Global Concord from Houston, Texas,
United States of America alleges that the incumbent chairman of Uyo
Local Government Area, Hon. Ekerete Ekpenyong was arrested by Houston
security at the airport on arrival with over $450,000 (N74.2 million)
on Wednesday the 8th August, 2012.
The source disclosed that the council helmsman was arrested by Houston
Security Agents during security a check at the Airport when over
$450,000 was discovered with him.
The money allegedly discovered in his possession according to our
source, was not declared to Customs during filling of Customs papers
both in Nigeria and Houston.
Mid-Week Global Concord news desk gathered that during interrogation,
Hon. Ekerete Ekpenyong told Houston security that the money was a
donation from Uyo Local Government Council to Akwa Ibom State
Association for 25th anniversary celebration in Orlando Florida of
which he was one of the delegates from Akwa Ibom State.
Another source who spoke with the paper in confidence said that the
chairman was later released on the intervention of the State Governor,
Chief Godswill Akpabio pleading that he Ekerete Ekpenyong was a Mayor
of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State coming to represent his people at the
anniversary.
Another source who accompanied them to Florida told this paper that
there was no donation from Ekerete Ekpenyong on behalf of Uyo Local
Government at the Akwa Ibom State Convention in Florida.
“At what point did the FGPC of Uyo Local Government council set and
approve over $450,000 to Akwa Ibom State Association anniversaries
celebration in Florida”, the source queried.
However, there are lamentations across all the Local Government Areas
in the State due to massive deductions from the monthly allocations
most of which could not be explained which left most Local Governments
with practically zero allocation in spite of the jumbo allocation from
the Federation account.
This paper learnt that the deduction from Local Government accounts is
for the Governor for his private use. We also learnt that most of the
Council Chairmen were installed by the governor to loot the Local
Government treasuries.
