APC Petitions ICPC, Police, Urges Probe of Bakassi Relief Materials Scandal

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has written to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, urging them to step in and investigate the alleged diversion of relief materials meant for the displaced people of Bakassi.

The party said the intervention of the agencies have become necessary in order to save Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, who recently defected to APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from orchestrated blackmail over her role in the campaign for relief assistance for the victims of fire incident in the Bakassi neighborhood.

Explaining the whole saga, the APC chieftain alleged that Ita-Giwa had suggested that the relief items be kept in the custody of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) pending distribution to the victims.

However, few days after taking custody of the materials, Ita said the state government directed the DG of SEMA to release the items to a committee, members of whom he alleged were all drawn from the PDP.

In a letter signed by the National Vice Chairman of APC (South-south), Mr. Hilliard Bassey Ita, and addressed to the Chairman of the ICPC and the Inspector General of Police, the party said they should investigate the whereabouts of the federal government’s relief materials placed in the custody of the SEMA.

“To this end, we request that your organisation should do a thorough investigation of the matter and accordingly prosecute perpetrators of this act of sabotage and crime against humanity. Enough of this deliberate orchestration of insecurity in the land,” he said.

The APC petition read: “Arising from the flurry of complaints emanating from the politically-motivated assault and onslaught by Senator Ben Ayade against our very own, a daughter of repute and widely- acclaimed Bakassi Leader, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, we at the APC South-south Zonal Secretariat, urge your prompt intervention to stop the deluge of attack that may lead to tension in Bakassi in particular and Cross River State in general.

He said the issue in question is the orchestrated plot by some PDP elements to incite the people of Bakassi Local Government Area against their political leader, Senator Ita-Giwa and by extension cause her violent attack and embarrassment by her people.

“We recall that recently, there was a fire outbreak at Atai Ema Community in Dayspring Island, Bakassi local government area following which, Ita-Giwa demonstrated her humanitarian and leadership disposition by requesting the intervention of the federal government to assuage the plight of the victims.”