How Godswill Akpabio is Starving Children & Govt Employees in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

CONCERNED CITIZENS of AKWA IBOM STATE GLOBAL DIASPORA PO BOX 1662 WARREN, MI 48090 United States of America (U.S.A.)

(586) 260-7506 ccain.ccain@gmail.com Dateline USA Press Release 10 31 11

RE: Starvation of Children and Dependants of Employees of the Government of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria, with Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio's Seal of Approval

In a recent conference of the Concerned Citizens of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria (CCAIN), it was resolved to raise awareness of the lack of payment of salaries, and continuing starvation of children, the elderly, and dependants of Akwa Ibom citizens that work directly for, or within the tertiary institutions of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. It is now public knowledge that employees of Government of Akwa Ibom State have not been paid their salaries for several months.

This happens against a backdrop where Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State amasses great personal wealth, allegedly launders money across the globe, travels the world on junkets with hundreds of his relatives, personal assistants, members of Akwa Ibom State legislature, and his personal political cronies.

In all these, money from Akwa Ibom State treasury is being squandered, while teachers, doctors, mid-to-low level government workers go without earned incomes. Salaries are not paid.

Still more alarming is the fact that for a governor who has just recently bought for himself, a PhD in Management Science, the fundamentals of cash flow management and structural appropriations has never been implemented in about five years of his Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria governance. Akwa Ibom State is therefore wrecked with chronic shortage of funds and systemic failure of government to pay its workers salaries.

Although Akwa Ibom State was recently deemed to have a better-than-average cash position, failure to pay earned salaries to employees, thus causing the starvation of the employees’ dependants seems purposeful to impart hardship, enough to cow them to subservient status if and when some payment is offered.

Page | 2 It is an incontrovertible fact that during Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio’s five years tenure, of the 36 states in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom State received and continue to receive the largest share of revenues accruing to the Federal Government of Nigeria (the main revenue source for the states).

No Akwa Ibom State leader has ever been so wantonly repressive or profligate with the people’s money. Concerned Citizens of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria in investigating the consequences of the systemic failure to pay employees salaries, have uncovered sheer misery in homes and families of uncompensated Akwa Ibom State government employees.

Families now go without three meals a day, fees and school supplies for children of such employees cannot be paid for (never mind Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio's propaganda on free education…..education is not yet free in real terms!), dependents are systematically being starved.

It is this appalling consequence resulting from the systemic failure of the Government of Akwa Ibom State to pay its employees that CCAIN finds most objectionable and therefore call on the Government of Godswill Obot Akpabio in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria to make haste and pay its employees all accrued salaries (current and arrears NOW).

Furthermore, the recurring and sustained pattern of not paying employees salaries must be reviewed and necessary corrective actions put in place to ensure timely and full compensation of government employees on standardized pay periods (not months after income have been earned). CCAIN also call upon the Government of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria and its Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio to understand that by indirectly starving children and other dependents of government workers, it violates fundamental human rights expectations. Engaging in actions and behaviors that result in hunger and starvation of children tantamount to criminal negligence and children abuse.

Failure of the Government of Akwa Ibom State to take immediate actions to save Akwa Ibom children from continuing hunger and starvation will compel CCAIN to elevate and refer this concern to the international community for note, sanctions, and interventions as appropriate. CCAIN also calls on the citizens and workers of Akwa Ibom State to resist hunger, starvation, and oppressions of Godswill Obot Akpabio's government through lawful acts of self preservation. Declared strike by unpaid employees of Tertiary institutions in Akwa Ibom State is a laudable act and should be supported and replicated in every sector of government employment (Schools, Hospitals, Ministries, etc).

CCAIN also call upon the Nigerian Labor Unions to engage and show solidarity with the unpaid employees and their deprived dependents.

If no one challenged the status quo, the world would still be deemed flat;

If no one challenged Adolf Hitler, more Jews would have been murdered in Europe; If no one challenged Mubarak, the Arab Spring would have faded;

If no one intervened on behalf of the Libyans, Kaddafi would have slaughtered many in Benghazi.

It is now time for workers in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria to rise up and say ENOUGH to government waste, non payment of salaries on statutory pay days, and starvation of children and dependents of government employees.

CCAIN is with you. Page | 3 Who We Are CCAIN is a Not For Profit US Corporation (a MEMBERSHIP organization) dedicated to advocacy for Public Safety, Good Governance, and Economic Empowerment in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria in particular. We are citizens and residents of the United States of America. All of us are working professionals while some are small business owners.

Our common bond is that we are all originally from Akwa Ibom State (one of the states in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria beset by acute poverty, incessant kidnappings, repressive governance, framing of political opponents with trumped up accusations, confused leadership, and political assassinations) who, at different times, migrated to the United States.

All of us are strong advocates for a better Nigeria through effective leadership, guided by the rule of law and the principles of participatory democracy.

Unfortunately, we have watched in great despair as our home country, Nigeria, has continued to deteriorate with successive corrupt and repressive leadership.

CCAIN understands the seriousness of our action and assert that we are guided by our desire for good governance, passion for and commitment to the rule of law in Nigeria. We also affirm our desire for the rule of law in our chosen home – the United States.

If you need further information, please contact Obong Umana of CCAIN at 586-260-7506 or write to ccain.ccain@gmail.com.

Winning the Future for Akwa Ibom State. s/Obong E. Umana/ For: CCAIN