The Cross River State wing of African Action Congress (AAC) is currently unsettling Governor Ben Ayade with a potentially dangerous allegation of corruption. Insiders say the governor is deeply worried.
State Chairman of the party, Agba Jalingo, is alleging that about N4.00 billion was hurriedly withdrawn from the state and Local government joint accounts, just before the last elections, to fund what the governor called ‘quick win projects’ in the 18 local government areas of the state.
AAC is also claiming that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor did not receive the backing of his cabinet on the purported quick win projects.
But, the obviously jolted Governor Ayade is threatening a legal action against Jalingo and his party. He is accusing AAC chief of peddling wrong information. ‘’You are going to be confronted with the facts, then face prosecution for misinformation’’, the bombed governor said.
The defiant Jalingo said Governor Ayade is gradually beginning to behave like an emperor while accusing the governor of lacking the slightest of skin to handle disagreement and scrutiny.
‘’There has never been a time in my life when I was a coward or afraid of any human being takless of going to court. I am a customer in the dock. Due to the near absence of opposition in our state, a lot is going wrong and people have generally been cowed. Our governor is beginning to behave like an unquestionable imperial emperor.
‘’Gradually, I am taking up my role as a leader of one of the opposition parties in the state and our party wants to make it clear that the only thing that will satisfy us as a party is answers to our questions, not threats of going to court. The court is not a firing squad.
‘’As a party, we are carefully gathering our information about the withdrawal and we will break it down for Cross Riverians very soon. The government should prepare answers not threats. Threats won’t work. They are dealing with a new kind of opposition that threats do not work with. As we enter his second term, the tempo of these questions will increase and answers alone will avail’’, the daring AAC boss said.
Of recent, allegations of unwholesome financial deals have been rocking the state. Such allegations have been causing some sleepless nights for government officials who are battling for credible defence to douse the fire.
