Akwa Ibom group under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance has expressed concern over the inability of Senator Bassey Albert representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District to make the list of prestigious National Honour Awards by president Mohammadu Buhari to deserving Nigerians.
It was gathered that the name of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan who is the governorship candidate of Young Peoples Party (YPP) was dropped by the presidency few hours before the award ceremony for allegedly involving in corruption charges pending in court
In a statement signed by the National President of the group Barr Stephen Abia in Uyo and made available to newsmen on Wednesday, the group observed that the missing of senator Albert’s name is a double tragedy as the senator just lost his brother, personal aide and police orderly attached to him when they were attacked recently in Anambra state.
Abia noted that it was callous for the federal government to omit senator Albert’s name despite the heavy mobilization of support groups to Abuja for the event but was shocked that his name got missing when the ceremony was to commence.
The statement reads in parts: “We have been reliably informed that the name of Senator Bassey Albert who was nominated for Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, was dropped by the federal government on the premise that he is indicted and is being prosecuted in a corruption case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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“Worst still, this shocking removable of Senator Bassey Albert’s name from the honours list, despite having mobilized enough contingent to Abuja to celebrate with him, came at a very bad time in the man’s life when he was already devastated by the death of his younger brother as well as his two aides – who died as a result of the federal government’s failure to provide security and good health facilities to Nigerians in all parts of the country.
” Did a man in such emotionally traumatic condition deserve another avoidable trauma of being publicly humiliated with the national honours list? ”
The group, therefore, urged the federal government not to treat Akwa Ibom indigenes with such ignominy as the personality in the episode is a prominent citizen.
He said even though senator Bassey Albert is standing trial on charges of corruption in court, the law is supposed to prove him before such litigation is used against him adding that he is not the only Nigerian facing corruption charges in court.
Granted that the man is involved in a corruption case and several other issues bothering on graft, is it not established that in law one is not guilty until so presumed by the court? Disgracing him from the national honours list at the eleventh hour is totally wrong, unacceptable and a slight on the people of Akwa Ibom State.” he said
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