The 2019 governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Nsima Ekere, has been linked to a financial fraud of N100m, belonging to Akwa Ibom State Government.
Mr. Ekere, a former Deputy Governor of the State, while in office, is said to have used his private company, “Techsel Products Limited” to defraud the State government of the said N100m.
The company is run by blood brothers to the APC candidate, Mr. Idorenyin Udo Ekere, Dr. Aniekan Udo Ekere and Utibe Idorenyin Ekere.
While Idorenyin Ekere took 1,800 number of shares of the N100m, Dr. Aniekan Ekere received 300,000, with Utibe Ekere 900,000 shares.
Already, an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Barr. Adebayo Ogunmola, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, over the authorized closure of Akwa Ibom State Government accounts and the transfer of N100m to a private company, Techsel Products Limited.
The petition dated 23rd January, 2019, and entitled “A Call For Immediate Investigation of Monumental Fraud”, is addressed to the Zonal Head of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
In the petition, Barr. Ogunmola said the investigation revealed that the sum of N100m belonging to Akwa Ibom State Government was illegally withdrawn and transferred to Techsel Products Limited operated by Mr. Nsima Ekere’s cronies.
After the money was embezzled, the petition said “the said accounts of Akwa Ibom State Government were closed without lawful authorization in a bid to conceal the monumental fraud.”
“We have conducted a search in Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja and the results revealed that the said Techsel Products Limited is owned by blood relations with Obong Nsima Ekere, when he served as Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State to defraud the State.” The petition stated.
It said such amounts to abuse of office and financial crimes, which the petitioner requests EFCC to conduct a thorough investigations into the petition to recover government funds and bring the culprits to book.
Barr. Ogunmola urged EFCC to apply the same speed used by her sister anti-graft agency Code of Conduct Bureau who within four days filed the petition and charge against the Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Walter Onnoghen before the Tribunal.
In the petition before EFCC is attached details of Akwa Ibom State Government accounts and the amount withdrew therefrom by the brothers of the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Nsima Ekere as well as the Certified True Copies of Memorandum and Certificate of Association of Techsel Products Limited issued by Corporate Affairs Commission, Particulars of Directors of the company and the bank statements establishing the illegal withdrawal of the cash by the directors of the firm.
