• Reveals shocking details of how signature was forged in alleged SURE-P funds scam
• Ex-Gov Nkanga to refund N450 million within 7 days • Unhappy Udom weighs options
• Ex-Gov Nkanga to refund N450 million within 7 days • Unhappy Udom weighs options
Former Military Administrator of Akwa-Ibom State and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), who was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly collecting N450m cash from the $115m dollars alleged loot of former Petroleum Resources Minister, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, has spilled the beans, alleging that he was never involved in the collection of such funds from Fidelity Bank Plc.
The former military governor who was picked up by EFCC operatives in Port-Harcourt and moved to the commission’s Headquarters in Abuja allegedly told investigators that his signature was forged and his passport picture with his identity card super-imposed on the document bearing his name as the recipient of the said sum of N450million.
EFCC Sources confided in The New Diplomat that the former governor accused the immediate past Governor of Akwa-Ibom, Obong Godswill Akpabio’s aides of perpetuating the fraud and he then promised to get across to both the former governor and the current governor, Mr Emmanuel Udom, in order to get to the root of the matter so as to get the funds refunded to the federal government.
Said an EFCC source: “He was very cooperative with investigators. He told the commission that he knew nothing about the fraud that his signature was forged and his passport super-imposed on the SURE-P document.
“What transpired was that they signed for the money (N450m) under the guise of SURE-P and diverted it for campaigns and politicking. It came from Fidelity Bank’s Diezani’s $115m dollars. The commission has given him one week to refund the money. Between himself, the former governor (Obong Akpabio) and the current governor, Emmanuel Udom, we understand they are talking to the so-called boys who perpetrated the crime to ensure that the N450m was refunded in good time to avoid embarrassment.’’
Speaking with The New Diplomat on phone, Air Commodore Nkanga said he neither signed for any such cash nor received and distributed the money in question. “’I told them (EFCC) that I never signed for, I never received and I never distributed any such money. They are investigating the matter.”
Investigations by The New Diplomat revealed that the EFCC is not only on top of the situation but may have gotten to the root of how a permanent secretary during ex-governor Akpabio’s tenure allegedly used the former Military Administrator’s name to collect the sum of N450M in two tranches from one Saint Anthony Ejiowu, a staff of Fidelity Bank in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The first tranche of the money was N350m which was allegedly paid on March 27, 2015 while the second tranche of N100m was released in cash on March 31, 2015. The cash was allegedly taken to Government House, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital where it was allegedly distributed without the knowledge of the former military administrator. Two top government officials were reportedly fingered in the high-wire deal and scam. One of them was a Permanent Secretary.
The New Diplomat gathered that the accused former permanent secretary who has reportedly been appointed by Governor Emmanuel Udom as one of his key cabinet members may be arrested and charged to court for acts bordering on criminal conduct.
The former military governor who was picked up by EFCC operatives in Port-Harcourt and moved to the commission’s Headquarters in Abuja allegedly told investigators that his signature was forged and his passport picture with his identity card super-imposed on the document bearing his name as the recipient of the said sum of N450million.
EFCC Sources confided in The New Diplomat that the former governor accused the immediate past Governor of Akwa-Ibom, Obong Godswill Akpabio’s aides of perpetuating the fraud and he then promised to get across to both the former governor and the current governor, Mr Emmanuel Udom, in order to get to the root of the matter so as to get the funds refunded to the federal government.
Said an EFCC source: “He was very cooperative with investigators. He told the commission that he knew nothing about the fraud that his signature was forged and his passport super-imposed on the SURE-P document.
“What transpired was that they signed for the money (N450m) under the guise of SURE-P and diverted it for campaigns and politicking. It came from Fidelity Bank’s Diezani’s $115m dollars. The commission has given him one week to refund the money. Between himself, the former governor (Obong Akpabio) and the current governor, Emmanuel Udom, we understand they are talking to the so-called boys who perpetrated the crime to ensure that the N450m was refunded in good time to avoid embarrassment.’’
Speaking with The New Diplomat on phone, Air Commodore Nkanga said he neither signed for any such cash nor received and distributed the money in question. “’I told them (EFCC) that I never signed for, I never received and I never distributed any such money. They are investigating the matter.”
Investigations by The New Diplomat revealed that the EFCC is not only on top of the situation but may have gotten to the root of how a permanent secretary during ex-governor Akpabio’s tenure allegedly used the former Military Administrator’s name to collect the sum of N450M in two tranches from one Saint Anthony Ejiowu, a staff of Fidelity Bank in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The first tranche of the money was N350m which was allegedly paid on March 27, 2015 while the second tranche of N100m was released in cash on March 31, 2015. The cash was allegedly taken to Government House, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Capital where it was allegedly distributed without the knowledge of the former military administrator. Two top government officials were reportedly fingered in the high-wire deal and scam. One of them was a Permanent Secretary.
The New Diplomat gathered that the accused former permanent secretary who has reportedly been appointed by Governor Emmanuel Udom as one of his key cabinet members may be arrested and charged to court for acts bordering on criminal conduct.
