Igbokwe Faults Akpabio's Handling Of Her Petition

SONGSTRESS, Mrs. Christy Igbokwe has described the media publicity given to her petition to the Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio as unwarranted. In a reaction to the governor's action, Igbokwe lamented that she was yet to receive a copy of the letter meant for her while the state government had circulated it to the media within and outside the country. According to her, the governor's action had confirmed her fears that his agents were actually after her life and that of her family. Akpabio in a reply to Igbokwe's letter had described the content as very "vexatious and surprising" even though the relationship between them had been very cordial for over 10 years. The governor, who denied Igbokwe's allegations, said: "Ordinarily, I would have ignored the inherent blackmail in the said letter. But, I cannot ignore the blatant falsehood on the alleged threat to your family by agents purportedly working for me. As the governor of Akwa Ibom State, I am under moral and statutory obligation to protect life and property. I can assure that I have not in any way breached my oath of office. I have never directly or indirectly threatened you and/or any member of your family." Igbokwe however said that it was a pity that a letter purportedly written on March 28, 2008 and addressed to her by the governor found its way into the newsroom of media houses in Nigeria and beyond, "whereas he has not found it necessary to deliver any copy to me, the person it was addressed to. Until the time of this press statement, April 9, 2008, that is, almost two weeks since it was written, I am yet to receive the original copy. This should now prove to the whole world that the threats to my family's lives by Akpabio's agents are real." On the issue at stake, Igbokwe said that similar printing machines her company supplied eight years ago to the state, which Akpabio said that the state House of Assembly had set up a probe panel to investigate, had been installed for other media houses and working well. The speech of the Speaker of the Assembly while inaugurating the probe panel, she said, showed that the outcome had been determined. She said: "Instead of finding out from the supplier how it can work more perfectly; petty-mindedness, you may say. We might all as well start returning our eight-year-old car to the dealer with complaint that he sold the car as second hand! Or that, after two years of parking the car in the garage, it was no longer performing as a new one. Truth is constant. You might as well ask to know if there was any time our company was written by the Akwa Ibom State government (past or present) on the condition of the machine; the answer is No!"