The protest is billed to take place at the Abuja headquarters of the EFCC tomorrow (Monday). Already, about 100 buses have alleged to have been hired to ferry the protesters from Uyo to Abuja while 5 chartered jets are to depart the Akwa Ibom International Airport (AKIA), for Abuja for the protest meant to express the solidarity of the State government with the embattled former Governor as well as incite Nigerians against the EFCC and the federal government.
But commissioners were sharply divided over the planned protest. While some supported the plan in view of the mobilisation grant they were given to mobilize protesters from their respective Local Government Areas to Abuja, others advised the Governor against the planned protest, insisting that it will send a wrong signal of the government to the outside world in view of the fact that Akpabio is not the only former governor being investigated by the EFCC. Some were of the view that Nigerians will see the protest as a waste of public funds especially in this period of dwindling revenue as a result of sharp decline in the price of crude oil as well as the security implications of mobilizing such large number of people to Abuja for the protest. The Governor was also told that bankrolling the protest will give him away as having a hand in the looting of the state resources by his predecessor.
The Governor is alleged to be under pressure from the Akpabio's to sponsor the protest and prove his loyalty to his predecessor who was instrumental to his emergence as Governor. Some of the would-be protesters were given between N10,000 to N20,000 depending on who was mobilizing them.
But security aides of the Governor were alleged to have advised Udom against the planned protest, insisting that the idea apart from being senseless may backfire on the Governor and his administration and pose a security risk if such a large group of people were mobilized to the FCT. He was advised to keep a safe distance from Akpabio and allow the EFCC do their job in view of the fact that his predecessor is only being interrogated by the anti graft agency and has not being charged to court.
In a related development, the Reclaim Akwa Ibom Group has condemn in the strongest term Monday's planned protest at the headquarters of the EFCC by people sponsored by the State government. In a statement in Uyo and signed by the National Secretary of the group, Dr. Mfon Ukpong, the group described the planned protest against the EFCC by youths sponsored by the State Governor as shameful, senseless and unfortunate, and called on the Governor to jettison the protest in his own interest.
Dr. Ukpong called on security agents to arrest any person or group of persons found protesting against the EFCC, describing the would-be protesters as enemy of Akwa Ibom people. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the planned sponsoring of delinquent youths to protest against the EFCC carrying out their lawful duty. For the mere fact that the planed protest has the imprimatur of the State Governor who has hurriedly disbursed the sum of #5 billion for an infamous protest at a time the government is owing workers salary for months calls to question the mindset of the Governor and what he is afraid of by the EFCC quizzing his predecessor on how he looted over #3.5 trillion he received from the federation account from 2007-2015 when Akpabio held sway as Governor of Akwa Ibom State", the release stated.
Dr. Ukpong said any person or group of persons who directly or indirectly participates in the protest is an enemy of Akwa Ibom people and called on Akwa Ibomites both at home and in the diaspora to support the effort of the Buhari led government in recovering stolen public funds and bring to book anybody who stole the resources of the state.
He called on security agents to arrest any bus or convoy of buses carrying protesters from Uyo to Abuja with the intention to protest against the EFCC and called on the youths not to allow themselves to be used by politicians who did not mean well for them and the state.
