…’Apologise Publicly, Retract Your Comments Within 7 Days Or… Onwe Tells Shehu
By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
A business tycoon and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River State, High Chief Henry Onwe, has slammed the Chairman, Revenue Allocation, Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, RAMFC, Mr. A.M Shehu, over his comment on Channels Television flagship programme, ‘Sunrise,’ that Cross River State had been receiving monthly $500 million stabilization fund from the federation account, following the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and the subsequent loss of 96 oil wells.
Onwe expressed his displeasure over the RAMFC Chairman’s statement to journalists in a press statement, which he issued in Calabar at the weekend, stressing that Mr Shehu ought to have cross-checked facts and figures before going public with such damaging, but untrue comment.
Onwe’ sad in his statement, “On issues of finance, a public official, holding such high position ought to be conversant with his facts and figures before stepping into a public arena like the Channels Television’s morning programme to make such a statement.”
The businessman cum politician stated that the statement has caused public consternation against the government of Cross River State, as the people now have the impression that there is secrecy and lack of transparency in the handling of the state’s finances.
Onwe continued, “What Mr Shehu should do now is to apologise to the government and the good people of Cross River State, and also publicly retract his words to clear the misgivings that have been planted in people’s minds.
“Mr Shehu should make the public apology and retraction of his statement within seven days; and failure to do so, my supporters and I would approach the courts to force him to remit the $500 million monthly accruing to the state, beginning from when our oil wells were taken away.”
The APC chieftain said that the state has been subjected to hardship since 2008, when it’s oil wells were handed over to Akwa Ibom State on the premise of the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon, and the recent statement by Shehu is tantamount to adding insult to injury, and as such must be retracted.
He declared his continued support to Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade and his administration, who he said has been working tirelessly to pay salaries promptly and also establish industries across the state with the lean financial position of the state.
He enthused, “His Excellency, Senator Professor Ben Ayade, has been doing the midas touch by raising funds to meet the critical needs of the state and should be commended and not discouraged through careless public utterances like the one by the RAMFC Chairman.”
