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An All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart in Cross River State, James Ebri, has condemned the allegations of fraud against the Head of Service of the Federation (HoS), Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, and chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP) on Recovery of Public Assets, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla.
Oyo-Ita allegedly embezzled N3 billion when she was permanent secretary to the former Minister of Special Duties, Kabir Turami Turaki, under the Goodluck Jonathan presidency.
“The whole thing is blackmail and a clear case of witch-hunt. We know who could possibly set her up. The issue of duty travel allowance (DTA) is an administrative thing that can be handled by laid-down service procedure. If you took excessive DTA, they would write you and let you know that you took so much. And you will have to respond.
“Why are they trying to rubbish her and leaving out the head that was the accounting officer of the ministry. From what they are even saying, there is no direct money linked to her account,” he said.
The former governorship candidate of the defunct Democratic Front for Peoples Federation (DFPF) expressed worries that allegations were becoming a pattern against people from the minority area of the country, citing Walter Onnoghen and others.
Concerned Cross River people also condemned the allegations, challenging the indicters to show any property anywhere in Abuja that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sealed that belonged to Oyo-Ita.
On Obono-Obla, leader of the group, Williams Eko, said: “Instead of the Federal Government looking into the various fraudulent activities his office has uncovered and investigating, they are busy crucifying him (Obono-Obla). The whole thing is stage-managed to destroy Obono-Obla and distract the public from the corrupt activities of government officials.”
Describing the development as a case of corruption fighting back, the group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to unravel the truth in the accusations through neutral bodies.