The Akwa Ibom State Government has confirmed the arrest of some vendors suspected of illegal resale of kiosks at the Christmas Village following a verification and validation exercise.
The arrested vendors were implicated in various fraudulent activities during the online registration process, including multiple registrations, reselling kiosks at exorbitant rates above the government-approved price, inconsistencies in personal data during the verification exercise, and name mismatches among others.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sir Charles Udoh, confirmed the arrests while addressing vendors with registration discrepancies at the Christmas Park in Unity Park, Uyo.
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Udoh stated that as a result of the arrests, the confiscated kiosks would be reassigned to deserving vendors who were unfairly deprived of the government’s kind gesture. He added that this action should serve as a deterrent to others considering similar fraudulent practices.
He urged anyone who purchased kiosks at costs exceeding the approved rates of ₦100,000 per kiosk or ₦30,000 per open space to report to officials of the Ministry or the Planning Committee so that the matter could be referred to security operatives.
The Commissioner also expressed appreciation to the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, for his generous support of the initiative and invited everyone to participate in the Christmas Unplugged Season 2.0, which promises exciting experiences for all attendees.
Christmas Unplugged 2.0 was officially declared open on December 1, 2024, by Governor Umo Eno. Each Local Government Area in the state will have the opportunity to showcase its rich cultural heritage during the event, which will continue daily at Unity Park, Udo Udoma Avenue, until the end of December 2024.
