Former chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River State, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, has accused the administration of Governor Bassey Otu of alleged fraudulent activities, including the diversion of public assets and awarding of projects to associates.
Eba, who is now the running mate to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Arthur Jarvis Archibong, made the allegations at a press briefing at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Press Centre in Calabar.
He alleged that the administration had converted a federal government rubber estate established in the 1950s under the former Eastern Region Premier, Sir Michael Okpara, into a private oil palm estate.
“I have the records and evidence about how Governor Bassey Otu has converted the rubber estate established by Michael Okpara to his private oil palm estate,” Eba said.
He further alleged that the governor and his wife, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, had acquired several properties across the state since assuming office.
Eba, who served as APC chairman during the administration of former Governor Ben Ayade and continued into the first two years of Otu’s administration, also alleged that several projects being executed by the government were fraudulent or deceptive and awarded to persons connected to the administration.
He said the alleged practices were among the reasons he left the APC for the opposition PDP.
Eba also accused the governor of frustrating an intervention by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for the construction of the Adiabo road in Otu’s community, alleging that the project was attracted by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who represents Cross River Southern Senatorial District.
Reacting, the governor’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Gill Nsa, dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and described them as false.
Nsa said Eba was making the allegations because he had fallen out with the governor, adding that the former APC chairman lacked the credibility to accuse the administration of wrongdoing.
He alleged that Eba was removed from the APC leadership after the state working executive committee and the 18 local government chapter chairmen passed a vote of no confidence on him over alleged financial impropriety and failure to account for members’ entitlements.
On the Adiabo road project, Nsa explained that the work was divided into two components, with the state government handling the major section, including bridges, while the NDDC was responsible for another section.
He said NDDC officials had inspected the project and commended the state government’s intervention.
Nsa also said several road projects in the Northern Senatorial District being credited to the Otu administration were inherited from previous governments, stressing that the projects were being continued in line with the principle of government continuity.
Ex-APC Chairman Eba accuses Otu of fraud, property grab, government fires back