Wikileaks Expose on Graft in Nigeria Worries PDP Chief
Wikileaks Expose on Graft in Nigeria Worries PDP Chief, Calls For Confab
Apparently overwhelmed by the on-going revelations on corruption in Nigeria, a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ekerete J. Ekerete, has said that the convocation of a sovereign national conference has become inevitable for the Nigerian people to fashion the type of a country they want.
Wikileaks has virtually rubbished every Nigerian on alleged kickbacks in the oil sector.
Ekerete who is a staunch supporter of Governor Godswill Akpabio, told AkanimoReports in an interview yesterday that the huge amount of dollars involved in the alleged kickback deals “is enough to resolve the problems of the Niger Delta, and transform the oil-bearing communities. It is very scandalous that our past presidents were sharing $60 million a month as kickback from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), while the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives took home $30 million each as their share of the windfall.
“Going by what is tumbling out of Wikileaks, it does appear that high-level corruption in Nigeria is worse than the rampaging Boko Haram. The whole drama is becoming a moral burden to government, and when compared with the alleged graft record of the late General Sani Abacha, Nigeria certainly owes the family of the late Head of State, an unreserved apology”.
The PDP chief said the country on virtually a daily basis, was sinking into one form of mess or the other, adding, “if all those involved do not apply the breaks now, the country is likely to degenerate into something more terrible than the current security challenges”.
On what the people of Akwa Ibom should expect from Governor Akpabio, he said, “the governor is focusing on industrialising the state so that every Akwa Ibom son and daughter will be able to find lucrative jobs and run profitable business. The infrastructural base of our state has improved greatly. The confidence some of us have in the administration is that when he hands over in 2015, those who doubted him will be put to shame.
“Those who love and appreciate beauty have been saying that Governor Akpabio has raised the standard of governance in the state. The 2015 politics will be very tough for average performers. It is only those who have what it takes to surpass the record of Akpabio that will be considered by the electorate. Those masquerading around the corner, are pretenders”.
ENDS