There is a strange connivance between two individuals at the moment which is a case of elites versus masses. In this situation, the elites are winning but how far they will go is left for the court to decide.

The Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel and his predecessor Senator Godswill Akpabio, the man that presided over the helms of affairs in the state between 2007-2015 are the actors in this scenario. As expected, after serving in a position, accountability of funds and decisions while in office is a norm.

However, Akpabio won’t have any of that as he has constantly avoided any opportunity to give an account of what he has done in an office. The strange dimension to the case is the role of the Akwa Ibom State Government. The government through its attorney general has made it impossible for the EFCC to make a headway with its investigation on the former governor.

The Akwa Ibom State Attorney General, Uwemedimo Nwoko had in March 2017 filed a suit before Justice Ntong of Akwa-Ibom High Court sitting in Ikot Ekpene seeking the court to restrain EFCC, ICPC or any other federal anti-corruption agency from investigating the government of the state for alleged corrupt practices without prior authorisation by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly an application dismissed by the court.

However, the attorney general hasn’t backed off from challenging the powers of the EFCC. The import of this is that the state is interfering in a case involving a private individual like Godswill Akpabio and it has shown how difficult it will be for the country to stamp out corruption.

The state Governor through his appointees has taken over the responsibility of responding to issues affecting Akpabio when the state should have been neutral In such case. It’s not a surprise though as there is no way Akpabio will be investigated and his former man Friday who is now the Governor will go scot free.

This is a clear case of I rub your back you rub my back which is at the detriment of Akwa Ibom masses as their resources are being utilised without accountability from those saddled with the responsibility of using their wealth judiciously.

Editor