While the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State has been highly commended by political watchers for putting together a hugely successful presidential really in Calabar for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the distribution of funds for the rally, appear to be pitching party members against each other, www.calitown.com investigations can reveal.
Shortly after Abubakar departed, several persons, who constituted themselves into pro-Atiku support groups, complained loudly that they received no logistics support. Some groups members even violently threatened to disrupt law and order in the state capital.
Not long after, several written materials surfaced on the internet, boldly accusing an side of the CRS governor, D.C Enamhe and one Lebo Lebo, of disappearing with funds meant for some of the groups. 24 hours after, Mike Abuo, another of the governor’s aide was fingered as having made away with a huge sum of money, meant for the groups.
When www.calitown.com contacted Enamhe, who headed the NGOs/Civil Societies and Support Groups Committee, for the event, came clear that he “…was not given a dime to mobilize any one. I was not directed by the seceteriat led by Hon Agbiji Agbiji to collect or disburse money to any one. I was not issued an approval from the DG Chris Agara Esq, to collect money from the secretary Agbiji for any disbursements. When I complained to Hon Agbiji that the support group needed water he said I should reach Mr Azom Ayang whom he said was given money for that purpose. I immediately got to Ayang who said he hadn’t such monies.I say it clearly, I have not been given any financial responsibility.”
Confronted with evidence to the contrary, Enamhe clarifed that, “Lebo was mobilized with N1.5 million to pay the support groups as my secretary and Lebo is my secretary. I subsequently called a meeting with all committee members and asked Lebo to disburse to all. I wanted payment to be done to the DGs who will subsequently mobilize their members. Disbursements is on going till now as Lebo is calling DGs and paying. Chris Agara added N1m while the governor also added N3m and gave it to one Mike Abuo who has absconded too. The governor has also added N500k to Lebo making it N2m. I am in touch with Lebo and other committee members and they have been paying as I am presently in the hospital in Abuja with my sick daughter”, Enamhe maintained.
Attempts to reach Mike Abuo, an aide to the CRS governor on Youth Mobilization, prominently mentioned by Enamhe and several others as having received cash on behalf of the groups, yielded this response. He acknowledged receipt of N3m from the governor, adding that, “…those who were to be reached have been reached … I have account details of transfers made and the signatures of those who have collected monies through the converner of a platform for support groups…’For those who haven’t been attended to…their money was released to Innocent Egiga and co…” He did not however reveal the name of the convener.
“Perhaps more outrageous to me is the fact that one prominent female politician from the state was paid N18 million for cheerleaders. This is a serious misapplication of funds and I am not surprised that this particular payment irked a former governor of the state. How can you give a serial decampee this kind of preference, over and above loyal party people”, a source inside the PDP, told www.calitown.com. We could not ascertain at press time if the aftermath of this action led to the rumoured walk out on Governor Ayade by his friend and DG of the Atiku Campaign Organization in CRS, Chris Agara, after eyebrows were raised at this expenditure.
More details shortly!
