Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of vilifying his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel.
Reports have it that the anti-graft agency is probing Mr Emmanuel over alleged N700 billion fraud.
But speaking at a town hall meeting in the Abak area of the state on Saturday, Mr Eno said such an amount of money was not missing from the coffers of the state government.
“I don’t know where they get those figures from because it can’t be from Akwa Ibom State; it can’t be from us – we don’t have such figures.
“I begin to feel that how we treat our leaders after they have put in all their efforts to serve can be very discouraging.
“We have done this consistently from Obong Attah, even the distinguished Senate President [Godswill Akpabio], we also vilified him; we went to EFCC. Now, we are doing it to Gov. Udom Emmanuel,” the governor said.
The governor said further that subjecting leaders to fraud probes after they have served their people well in office would discourage those currently in office from giving their best whilst in service.
“I’m already expecting that it will happen to me but what this does is to discourage leadership; it discourages you from giving your best, from burning out yourself because at the end of the day, the people don’t show you that gratitude,” he said.
“When a man has served his state meritoriously like Governor Udom Emmanuel did, honestly, should be honoured, and should be respected.
“I don’t see a place for this kind of vilification that is going on; it is not correct – I don’t believe it should go on.
“It is not correct, it is not truthful and we need to just dismiss it with a pinch of salt,” he added.
