by crossriverwatch admin
Crossriverwatch can authoritatively report that Mr. Emmanuel Uminya Ikwen, the Executive Chairman of Obudu Local Government in Cross River State has obtained an overdraft of N6m from First Bank Plc. Obudu Branch to procure an Award of Excellence billed to be presented to him by the Grassroots Media Ventures on March 8, 2013 in Abuja.
The Chairman however in a decoy, yesterday asked the Obudu Local Government legislative council to approve an overdraft, which he has already collected, and has already paid N1.6m into the account of the organizers of the award.
In a letter that was read in chambers by the Leader of the Obudu legislative council, Hon. Prince Ugah Andeshi, the Chairman asked the councilors to approve an overdraft of six million Naira from First Bank Plc. in Obudu for him to procure the award.
Crossriverwatch gathered that out of the N6m, N1.6m has been paid to Grassroots Media Ventures, the organizers of the award and the balance of the sum will be spent on logistics including travels and hotel expenses for the chairman and the entourage that will be accompanying him to the award ceremony billed for the prestigious Transcorp Hilton, Abuja as well as ‘settlement’ for the councilors for approving the overdraft.
A close ally of the Chairman who confided in crossriverwatch said, “The Chairman wants a second term by all means and he is having sleepless nights over it. He is shocked that his tenure has expired suddenly and he has made more enemies than friends during his time in office. He wants to stay on so that he can attempt to correct those mistakes.
“Essentially that is the reason he is doing all these; in my own thinking. He even went to go and beg the man that presented him for chairman, Vena for reconciliation”.
One of the councilors who spoke to crossriverwatch on condition of anonymity said he was surprised when “I heard that the chairman want us to take a loan on local government head to sponsor his award. Since no one said anything, I won’t be the scapegoat. Our concern now as councilors is what is our own inside the six million? They have said three hundred and fifty thousand Naira but that is nonsense. If the amount is increased, then we will approve it. I will not oppose it because I don’t want to be seen as the black sheep. I even hear that the loan has already been collected” He said.
All attempts to speak with the local government chairman and the leader of the Obudu legislative, council were not successful as several calls to the chairman’s two gsm numbers
said the phones were switched off while calls to the leader’s phones were not picked.
But in a telephone chat with Mr. Yinka Awoyinka, the Chief Executive Officer of Grassroots Media Ventures, he confirmed to crossriverwatch that an award is scheduled for the Obudu Local government Chairman for March 8, 2013 in Abuja but refrained from further comment saying he was in a burial ceremony and could not comment further.
Grassroots Media Ventures Limited is a limited liability company. The company established the National Award for Excellence in Grassroots Leadership scheme to promote good leadership at the grassroots level.
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