Akwa Ibom state governor, Umo Eno, has stated that he is appropriating the state funds with caution to avoid being a visitor to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), when he leaves office.

The governor stated this during a media parley to mark his second anniversary in office, saying he will not be carried away by pressures from any direction to be reckless in spending the state’s funds to his detriment.

Eno blamed the governed for most times pushing governors into tampering with state funds, which eventually led them to the dragnet of anti-graft agencies after they exit office.

He promised to continue to be prudent and accountable in management of the state’s resources, adding that his administration must get value for every Kobo spent.

“When I became governor, I told the Akwa Ibom people that we would have a sinking fund. And so every month we have money we don’t spend. I am not very good at throwing money around, even my immediate family will tell you that.

“Money must pursue something. Money is an exchange for value received and I believe I must do everything in line with the original intent of money.

“Unfortunately, we have come to a point where everybody believes that they have sense of entitlement, that the government must do this, government must give them that.

“I saw it when some group of boys say they are support groups for Umo Eno and since they finished supporting, Umo Eno has not done anything for them. So they want to go on protest.. I laughed. I pray they don’t get into security issues.

“They say they supported me for good governance and I am trying my best to provide good governance yet they want me to give them money. Where will I have money to give to support groups?

“When you see former governors go to EFCC when they finish, we are the people that drive them to it and no one will drive me to it. I will do what I can do within the law, what I cannot do I will stay away. Now which account, which budget do I have to pull money to groups?”

Eno, however, debunked reports in some sections of the media that Akwa Ibom State received N650 billion in three months.

“These figures are published quarterly and the freedom of information Act makes you get information. So the argument about how much we get shouldn’t even come in.

‘But I can tell everyone that I am praying and trust God that we get N200billion a month some day. If I get that, then I will turn this place into Dubai. But from what we are getting we are doing our best.

“You can not take balance carried forward which is clearly shown in the publication and they show you three months revenue as added up and you now come up with a headline saying that Akwa Ibom receives N650 billion in three months.

“That’s not good reporting. To journalist you have reported well but to our neigbouring states you don’t know the number of trouble you have just sparked up for us. They will say if Akwa Ibom is receiving N650 billion in three months so maybe it is receiving N200 billion a month.

“Then you go to the Governors’ Forum and people say Akwa Ibom and your neigbouring states say Akwa Ibom is holding their oil wells. And you have thrown Akwa Ibom in harms way just by that false reporting,” he expressed.

The governor lamented that such reports have ignited agitations from neigbouring states to get some oil wells from Akwa Ibom.

“So, Cross River wants oil wells, Rivers State wants oil wells because they will ask why Akwa Ibom is earning so much, not considering that it was just false reporting.

“Ever since that report broke, I know the number of times I have gone to the presidency because other states feel we have not been nice to them.”

He expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for being liberal to the state with funds, adding it has helped on development projects that positively impact on the people of the state. (Saturday Tribune)