THE FIRST CLASS SCHOLARSHIP GOV AKAPABIO NEVER GAVE BUT LIED THAT HE DID.

Fejiro Oliver

He is not just an alleged assassin governor who takes away the lives of political enemies through the use of his comrade in arms, but without allegation, he is a pathological liar and deceiver. 

This is the story of how Gov. Godswill Akpabio told the world that he gave a government scholar to one of its citizens that made a First Class in 2010 from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), widely published in the papers, which were all lies.

President Goodluck Jonathan had just been confirmed as the President of Nigeria, following the death of President Musa Yaradua and his first assignment was to be the guest to the convocation of UNIPORT as its visitor. Naturally, many governors jostled to be there, and Akpabio was no exception.

The best graduating student, Arit Okon Eminue with a CGPA of 4.88, the highest in the history of the school then was given an invitation card as well as an official letter to give to the governor of her home state, who incidentally is Akpabio, which he attended.

After delivering her valedictory speech, Arit had photo session with the governor, while the Press Corps had series of interviews with her. Her interview was the front page of the State owned Pioneer Newspaper. Her phone number was demanded for by an aide of the governor, who stated that she is needed at the Government House, Uyo. The next day after her convocation, she went to the Government House to see Akpabio. She couldn’t attend the convocation of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) even though she was invited; where the governor publicly announced that he was giving her a scholarship as well as other UNIUYO First Class graduates. 

We gathered that they spoke at length with the Governor asking to know what the State can do for her. She demanded for a scholarship to cover her Masters and PhD programmes, which the Governor agreed and advised her to apply to Ivy Universities abroad. Her demand was necessitated by the Governors announcement of already giving her and others scholarship during his visit to UNIUYO. With the discussion over, he directed that his P.A, Emmanuel Inyangetoh collect her number for direct communication once she get admission to enable him pay the money needed.


THE PRANK BEGAN

Soon after she applied for her transcript and admission, she needed a letter from the State Government acknowledging sponsorship of the programme, but every attempt to get to Inyangetoh and the governor were futile and the admission elapsed. 

Not giving up, she applied again the next year and got admission letter from Coventry University (Msc International Relations) but this time her attempt to get across to the PA was successful, and after much dribbling, she was sent a message around 3am that she should be in Uyo to see the Governor by 10am. By then, she was married and living in the Eastern part of the country. Despite having health issue due to miscarriage and advised to take adequate rest, her husband still arranged for transportation to Uyo.

Getting to the Government House, she was kept waiting till 5pm in the waiting room but never saw him. Few weeks later, Akpabio told the PA to get her documents with intention to give her a slot in the NDDC scholarship as the State had three slots. Ironically enough, NDDC scholarship covers science related subjects and it will take a magic of the 21st century for them to give to an Arts course at that time.

AKPABIO PLAYS THE CARD

In his usual deceptive manner, she never heard from the Governor or the PA again, as they both stopped picking her calls till the admission ended. The school magnanimously offered to extend the admission to the next session being February just to give the government time to release the money but mum was the word from them. With all this done under another pregnancy, she lost it travelling the bad roads of Abia State to Uyo and ever since then; she has been unable to get pregnant.

The Governor who is known for doling out cash on flimsy reasons killed the chance of its own indigene, but told the world a different story. Many Akwa Ibomites today curse Arit father for being an All Progressive Congress (APC) politician, describing him as being ungrateful, after Akpabio sent their daughter abroad for her PhD. Her father who is the immediate past Pro Chancellor of UNIUYO is currently under attack, using the the police. Alongside the EX Vice Chancellor, they are being hounded to return the official cars they used for five years, since he is now a member of the APC.

The question on the lips of people is “Is she because she is an Oron girl, whose people are demanding to produce the governor?