Activists urge NACAT to intensify anti-corruption efforts beyond social media

Tony Okoh, Uyo

A group under the aegis of Uyo Senatorial District Media Practitioners Forum has cautioned the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking to stop using Facebook and other social media platforms to fight corruption, saying established anti-graft institutions don’t use social media platforms to tackle the corruption menace.

It urged the group to allow the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, which are established anti-graft institutions, to carry out due diligence regarding the allegations of corruption against the former governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state.

The group’s director of Strategic Communications, Victor Etim, advised while addressing journalists in Uyo on Monday.

NACAT had petitioned both EFCC and ICPC to investigate allegations of corruption against the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, alleging that the sum of N700 billion remained unaccounted for during the Udom Emmanuel’s 8 years tenure

In the petition dated January 21, 2025, signed by its Operational Manager, Stanley Ugabe NACAT alleged that there was “wanton corruption and embezzlement of public funds orchestrated by former governor Udom Emmanuel”

Etim stated that by resorting to Facebook and other social media platforms to post allegations of corruption, the group was merely out to justify that it’s paid to tarnish the image of the former governor.

“It is a known fact that there are established institutions that fight corruption, Facebook and other social media platforms are not part of them. With copies of petitions seen on social media and claimed to have been submitted to EFCC and ICPC by this group, one would have expected the group to allow the anti-graft agencies to do their due diligence.

“But Fejiro Oliver and his co-travelers are determined to justify their pay by mudslinging Mr Udom Emmanuel and his family through this sustained campaign of calumny,” Etim said.

Etim who emphasized that he is not promoting corruption nor against any individual or group fighting corruption, however, took exception to what he called a destructive attempt to denigrate the person of Udom Emmanuel

He said “Our attention has been drawn to recent activities of an unscrupulous element, Fejiro Oliver and his co-travelers, parading themselves as undertakers, under an umbrella group called “Network Against Corruption and Trafficking”, claiming to be investigators and corruption fighters.

“While this forum is not against any group or individual who wants to fight corruption, this forum is totally against the destructive attempt by any group or individual whose mission is to rub tar on leaders of Akwa Ibom State.

“We make bold to say that leaders in Akwa Ibom State are not thieves and irresponsible as the sponsored hirelings and blackmail group want to present leaders in the state.

“This is an insult to the collective sensibility of Akwa Ibom people that strangers will leave leaders in their state who didn’t develop their states compared to what Mr Udom Emmanuel did in Akwa Ibom, to malign and blackmail our leaders in Akwa Ibom, yet some miscreants hail such misadventure”.