ICPC Arraigns A'Ibom Ex-Council Boss for Allegedly Embezzling N55.8m

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged a former chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ephraim Sunday Akpan, to court for allegedly embezzling N55.8 million belonging to the local government.

This is contained in a statement, yesterday, by the Spokesperson of the Commission, Mrs. Rasheedat A. Okoduwa.

The Commission, in 24-count charge, filed before Justice Archibong Archibong of Akwa Ibom State High Court 4, sitting in Uyo, accused Mr. Akpan of abuse office while acting as Chairman of Mkpat Enin local government area, contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.

Akpan, who was Chairman of the local government from June 2012 to June 2015 and later Caretaker Chairman of the same council from June 2015 to June 2016, was also accused of collecting a bribe of N3 million from a contractor in violation of Section 8 of the same Act and punishable under the same section.

The Commission, while acting on a petition on alleged fraudulent activities of Akpan from a Non-Governmental Organisation called Centre for International Peace and Development in Nigeria, found out that the former local government Chairman allegedly used N55, 670, 000 of the council’s funds between June and October 2014 to build the ‘Godswill Akpabio Gas and Oil Academy’ which has been abandoned.

ICPC in the charge sheet told the court that Mr. Akpan allegedly offered bribes to some selected village heads in his local government to buy their support for the abandoned academy.

It further alleged "that Mr. Akpan, in his statement confessed to have awarded a contract for the construction of 14 solar-powered boreholes in 14 wards of the local government at the cost of N42, 500, 000 to a company called One Billion Trade, owned by his friend, Mr. Sebastine Essien, without the approval of the council.