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Tag: A’Ibom

  • A/Ibom NLC rejects Gov. Emmanuel New Year gift

    A/Ibom NLC rejects Gov. Emmanuel New Year gift

    THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Akwa Ibom has rejected a cow gift for Christmas and New Year given to them by Gov. Udom Emmanuel. The state Chairman of NLC, Mr Etim Ukpong, explained on Friday in Uyo that the rejection was the unanimous decision of the congress at their state executive meeting.

    Ukpong said that it was not proper for the state government to give them cow gift after much persuasion on the government. He said that the state congress decision was also to preserve the sanctity of the union and its constitution. “Comrade, we must stand firm on the decision we collectively took yesterday and be bold to ask why NLC have to beg virtually for everything in the state.

    “Workers condemn in strong term the lack of concern by the state government toward the issues concerning Nigeria Labour Congress,” Ukpong said. The labour leader urged the state government to be more responsible towards the labour union.

    He said that the labour union would continue to maintain its integrity and focus on the welfare of its members in the state. Ukpong accused the governor of creating division in the NLC by using certain greedy members of the union to achieve his aim and boycott workers’ rights and agitation. The state government was yet to react to the development.

  • A/Ibom Assembly approves Emmanuel’s N5 billion loan request

    A/Ibom Assembly approves Emmanuel’s N5 billion loan request

    The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Thursday approved the requests by Governor Udom Emmanuel to obtain a loan of N5 billion to enable the government complete some ongoing developmental projects in parts of the state. The Assembly also approved the government’s’ request for approval to guarantee N10 billion  contractor’s finance scheme for the dualization of Etinan-Ndon Eyo road.

    In the two letters addressed to the Speaker of the state assembly, Rt Hon. Barr. Onofiok Luke, and read on the floor of the House by the Clerk of the House, Mrs Mandu Umoren, Governor Udom Emmanuel urged members of the House to “give approval for Akwa Ibom State Government to guarantee a term loan facility of N10 Billion to enable the state finance 29km dualization project of Etinan-Ndon Eyo road awarded to Wizchino Engineering Limited.”

    The governor noted that the “United Bank for Africa (UBA) has agreed to offer the facility to the contractor – Wizchino Engineering Limited at an interest rate of 14.5 percent per annum payablewithin 36 months .”

    According to the governor, the dualization of Etinan-Ndon Eyo road is with two bridges and spur from Mbioto Ekpene Ituen to Ikot Akpan Ishiet junction.

    The letter stated further that “the facility will offer the State Government the opportunity to make payment in tranches of N344, 209,774.43 at most per month to the contracting firm, Wizchino Engineering Limited, instead of making lump sum payment thereby ensuring that the project is completed on time and also freeing funds for other uses on monthly basis.”

    The governor invited the lawmakers to consider his request noting that “it will allow the contractors to sustain the current momentum of work and meet critical timelines before the rains set-in heavily.”

    The letter also read that the state will benefit immensely if the road is completed on schedule as it will stimulate greater economic activity through speedy movement of goods and services and create new jobs through better access to the farming communities in the state.

    Members of the House all spoke in favour of the request by the governor. The Leader of the House and member representing Oruk Anam state constituency in the House, Rt. Hon. Udo Kieran Akpan noted that the requested approval for contractor’s finance scheme is not an outright loan facility.

    He said: “This is an arrangement between Akwa Ibom state government and the contractors. What this means is that Akwa Ibom state government has entered into a contractual agreement with the contractor to fast-track the progress of work in Ndon Eyo – Etinan road. I have observed that if Akwa Ibom state is to depend on IGR and allocation from federal government to finance this kind of scheme, it means that this job cannot be completed with speed. So what the governor seeks to do is to say let these contractors go to the bank, get this money to do the job and we pay back in installments.”

    Also speaking in approval of the request by the governor were Hon Mark Esset of Nsit Atai who said there was no need to deliberate on the issue but to give approval; Hon. David Lawrence of Eket; Hon. Nse Essien of ONNA; Rt. Hon. Friday Iwok of Abak, who pleaded with his colleagues to see reasons to grant the governor’s request, among others.

    Both requests by the state chief executive were granted after the Speaker opened the floor for contrary opinions on the request but none spoke.

    The Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Barr) Onofiok Luke, commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for always involving the state legislature in contractual matters. He urged respective committees saddled with oversight responsibilities to ensure they are not found wanting with regards to following up on various projects by the state government. He also appealed to contractors handling road projects in the state to be committed to the timely delivery of the projects.

     

  • Julius Berger, A’Ibom Govt square up over tax remittance

    Julius Berger, A’Ibom Govt square up over tax remittance

    For refusing to recognise and cooperate with the Paavic Allied Concept, a revenue agent engaged by the  State Ministry of Transport, Julius Berger, one of the  leading construction companies handling projects in Akwa Ibom State has been accused of ‘taking the state for a ride.’

    The company rathan than  heeding the state government’s directive on the proper channel through which transport related taxes are paid, went to engage the Chief Nnamdi Ogbogbo-led Temple A. Amado and Co as revenue agent.

    This assertion was part of the reply to petition by Julius Berger and its revenue agent to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Public Complaint, alleging intimidation, embarrassment, harassment and impounding of vehicles belonging to Julius Berger by state government revenue agents.

    The Victor Eddie-led Paavic Allied Concept said no group of persons including construction or manufacturing companies are exempted from paying road taxes through the Akwa Ibom Road Levies Implementation Scheme.

    The reply, signed by the Director of Road Levies Implementation Scheme, Ime Charlie noted that there has never been a time Julius Berger Nig Plc introduced the said Chief Nnamdi Ogbogbo as its revenue agent to Akwa Ibom State Government, nor has ever paid its levies to the state through the said agent.

    “We make bold to say again that Nnamdi Ogbogbo is not a revenue agent to Julius Berger and that even if he were, Julius Berger is different from Akwa Ibom State Government. That the said Ogbogbo is a tax/revenue agent to Julius Berger Plc cannot prevent the state government from appointing its own revenue agent(s) for the purpose of collecting from Julius Berger.”

    The state government revenue agent, however, denied the allegation of harassment and intimidation as well as impounding any company’s vehicle and explained that its practice is to make formal demand on companies to furnish them with the number of operational vehicles in their fleets to enable the agency ascertain the tax due each company.

    “On December 3, 2013, the state government through the agent made a formal demand on Julius Berger to furnish us with the number of operational vehicles in their fleet. Julius Berger in response in a letter dated 16 December 2013 sent the list of their operational vehicles to the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Road Levies implementation Scheme,” the letter read.

    Responding on behalf of the state Ministry of Transport, the Permanent Secretary, Dr Effiong Abia noted that all the 36 states of the federation including Abuja operates road taxes through consultants, hence the trend is not restricted to Akwa Ibom.

    He expressed disappointment that while other companies operating in the state are cooperating with the agent engaged by the state government to pay regular taxes without grievances, complains or redress, Julius Berger was allegedly plotting to avoid tax payment.

  • A/Ibom guber: The verdict, the claims and the figures

    A/Ibom guber: The verdict, the claims and the figures

    Last Wednesday,the Akwa Ibom State Election Tribunal  invalidated the election results in 18 out of 31 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state and ordered a rerun election.Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, writes on the verdict and the issues, as well as permutations it has thrown up.

    Before news broke last Wednesday that the Akwa Ibom State Election Tribunal has invalidated the election results in 18 out of 31 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the State, many observers of the politics of the oil producing state saw it coming. The verdict of the Tribunal, to many, especially chieftains of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), was merely a confirmation of widespread allegations that the April 2015 governorship election in the state was characterized by several electoral malpractices and discrepancies.

    It was reported that the election was allegedly marred with violence, killings, harassment of voters, hijacking of election materials and unprecedented rigging which made international and local observers to pass a unanimous verdict that it was a sham and recommended a complete cancellation of the exercise. The APC which is the main opposition in the state also came out strongly to decry the conduct of the exercise.

    The APC said there was no election in the state as it accused the former governor Godswill Obot Akpabio who is now a minority leader at the Senate, of allegedly deploying state machinery to rig the election and overturn the popular wish of the people. As a result of this, the APC and its candidate, Umana Okon Umana, had to challenge the victory at the tribunal seeking a cancellation of the purported election.

    During the processes of the proceedings, several witnesses were summoned to the tribunal to testify. Many of them had given shocking revelations as regards the election conducts. The witnesses recounted before the tribunal how results were announced for many polling units in various local government areas despite the fact that no election took place in such units.

    According to Dr. Sam Bassey, a frontline chieftain of the APC in the state, “beside the affected 18 LGAs, a good number of other polling units did not comply with the provisions of the law. What they called election in Akwa Ibom on that fateful day was nothing short of daylight robbery. The Tribunal has done very little of what it should have done. There is more to the criminalities that led to the emergence of the current Governor than just rigging in 18 LGAs. It was a statewide web of criminal activities.”

    This is part of the argument of the APC at the Tribunal that led to the nullification of the last governorship election in the state. Although the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, incumbent Governor Emmanuel Udom, contested the claims and insisted that their victory at the last guber contest was free and fair, the Tribunal still found enough reason to cancel the polls in the affected areas and call for re-run election, thereby threatening the continued stay in office of Udom and his party.

    The Justice Sadiq Umar-led tribunal sitting in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct re-run election in 18 local government areas of the state. There are 31 local government areas in Akwa Ibom. Giving its verdict on Wednesday, the Tribunal said it was satisfied that there were discrepancies during the governorship election held on April 11. With that, Governor Udom and his party are left struggling to stay on to power in the midst of festering political uncertainties.

    Preliminary permutations

    Pundits are already examining the chances of the two leading political parties and their candidates in the looming re-run election. Of course, the re-run is only expected to take place within ninety days of the Tribunals ruling if the PDP and Governor Udom fail to appeal the ruling and or if the Appellate Court rule in favor of the Tribunal’s verdict.

    Going by the position of most analysts, the race to the Government House, should the rerun take place, is still open to both Governor Udom and his closest challenger, Umana of the APC. INEC, on the 11th of April, 2015, declared PDP winner of the gubernatorial election in the state with a total of 996, 071 votes in favour its candidate. According to INEC’s result sheets, Umana of the APC, who came in second in the contest, polled 89, 865 votes.

    Last Wednesday, the tribunal today ruled that of the 996,071 which INEC credited to Odum’s PDP, 566,436 voters in 18 of Akwa Ibom’s 31 LGAs were disenfranchised as there was no evidence of valid accreditation. The tribunal accordingly ordered a rerun in the affected 18 LGAs. The LGAs are: Onna, Uyo, Ibesikpo, Nsit ubium, Nsit Atai, Uruan, Nsit biome, Itu, Ibiono biome, Eket, Ikot Abasi, Udung, Etinan, Ini, Ibeno, Etim Ekpo, Oruk anam and Ikono.

    Of the 13LGAs that had their results validated, APC had won in 4 LGAs, namely Mbo, Udung Uko, Okobo and Urue Offong Uruko, while PDP the remaining 9 LGAs. And going the verdict of the tribunal, Odum’s PDP still have 340, 635 valid votes standing to their credit.

    The implication is that should Umana even be retaining his earlier 89, 865 votes, he is trailing the PDP candidate, Udom, by 250, 770 as they both look forward to the rerun election. But many pundits say the lead may not be sufficient for the PDP and Governor Udom to remain too comfortable ahead of the election.

    Checks by The Nation revealed that of the 18 LGAs where rerun has been ordered, nine, namely Nsit Ibom, Uyo, Ibesikpo, Nsit Ubium, Nsit Atai, Uruan, Etinam and Itu LGAs, are in Akwa Ibom North East senatorial district, also known as Uyo geo-political zone, where the APC candidate, Umuna hails from.

    Beside the fact that the zone is Umuna’s stronghold and he is expected to perform creditably well there, it is also an established fact that the zone boast of the highest voting population of the three geo-political zones that made up the state. This, many pundit argued, is a great advantage for the APC should the rerun take place.

    Surprisingly, pundits are expectant that Umana will not fare badly in Udom’s own Eket senatorial district following his good showing in the area in the last election. In spite of alleged widespread rigging and voters’ intimidation, the APC candidate won in three of the eleven LGAs in the area. And with votes of five LGAs now nullified, it posits the he stand at par with the Governor who is also left with victory in only three LGAs in his home region.

    “While we are still not satisfied with the verdict for its failure to order an outright cancellation of the election, I can assure you that APC will win the rerun election with a landslide. Uyo senatorial district, where we are going to have election in nine LGAs, has nearly half of the voting population of the state and that is where Umana hails from.

    He is not only from there, he is the political leader of the people and they love him dearly. PDP knew this and that was where they seriously militarized the place and prevented the people from voting. The Tribunal has been able to establish this by canceling the election in the zone outrightly.

    And if you look at our performance even in Eket where they claim to have their strength, being the home zone of the Governor, you will know what APC is capable of doing during the next election. We are the party to beat and they know. Even in Akpabio’s Ikot Ekpene zone, APC is on ground and we showed that during the last election,” Bassey posited.

    Even within the PDP, fears are being expressed over the likely outcome of the rerun given the new political scenario within and outside the state. A chieftain of the party, while expressing worry over the development, gave indication that the party may prefer a quick rerun election to appealing the judgement so as to get the election over with before the new Minister appointed from the state settles down.

    “Now, Akpabio, the man who knows how to get the people on his side is no longer the Governor of the state. The new governor is the one asked to step aside now. The federal government is not controlled by PDP and the people are yet to feel the impact of the new Governor. We know it is not the same scenario as we had in April. Some of our people are now undecided voters and this will impact on the election greatly,” he said.

    Our source added further that an appeal will give the APC, the incoming Minister and its political office holders, ample time to stabilise, and access funds for the rerun. “An appeal will also give INEC enough time to come into the state and block some loopholes so as to correct the mistakes it made the last time. Time indeed is not in our best interest because it will allow the APC, the incoming Minister and its political office holders, ample time to stabilise, and access funds for the rerun. So, the PDP may simply decide to have the rerun as soon as possible,” he said.

    Mixed reactions

    This is just as mixed reaction trailed and continue to trail the Tribunal’s verdict within and outside the state. While there were reported jubilations in some parts of Uyo, the state capital, Abuja, as well as Lagos on Wednesday, following the rulling of the governorship tribunal, supporters of the Governor have been condemning the verdict and vowing that it cannot stand before superior Courts.

    Speaking on the judgment, the APC governorship candidate, Umana Umana, said he dedicates it to God and his supporters. While hailing the judgment, he said it has vindicated his position that the poll was a charade and an assault on the electoral principle. “We welcome the judgment. It has vindicated our stand that the governorship election was characterised by fraud, rigging and other malpractices.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) however asked Governor Emmanuel to step down, saying that his government is confronted with a legitimacy crisis. Hailing the verdict on the re-run poll in 18 of 31 local governments, the party said the tribunal was irked by the colossal fraud that characterised the governorship election. APC National Deputy Chairman (South) Mr. Segun Oni said the position of the party is that the governor should vacate office because he did not meet the criteria victory at the poll. He said it is now evident that none of  candidates met the criterion of spread as stipulated by the constitution.

    Oni, who spoke with our correspondent on telephone, said the Buhari administration is dedicated to electoral sanity, urging the stakeholders to support the crusade for the sanctity of the electoral box. He said: “We are happy. It is the triumph of the rule of law. Nigerians now know that the governorship election in Akwa Ibom was fraught with irregularities and cannot stand the test of scrutiny. The cancellation in 18 local governments means that the governor should step down for an acting governor to be in charge.

    Nobody can claim to have won with the required spread. The governor did not meet the requirement stipulated by the constitution. “We urge the people of Akwa Ibom to keep hope alive. We know there is a right of appeal, but we are certain that it will go this way. The election was too crooked to be sustained. APC will get victory at the end of the day. The governor will have to step down for another election to take place.”

    The Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Paul Ekpo said the judgment was confusing. Ekpo said the only good thing about the judgment was that Emmanuel remains in office.

    “The judgment is very confusing except that my governor, who had won the election overwhelmingly in the state, still remains the governor.

    More intrigues

    But if the PDP thought it is the only one not satisfied with the verdict, then it may have some rethink to do because the APC during the week, in a surprise announcement, said it would appeal against the judgement of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that cancelled the election of Governor Udom and ordered re-run polls in 18 LGA..

    The Chairman of the party in the state, Dr Amadu Atai, announced this to newsmen in Uyo. Atai said the party was expecting outright cancellation of the governorship election since it nullified the elections in 18 out of the 31 local government areas.

    “The tribunal has cancelled the governorship elections in 18 local government areas and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct elections in the affected areas. But we are going to file an appeal because we expected cancellation in more local government areas where discrepancies were pervasive”, he said.

    A member of the APC legal team in the case, Ubong Offiong, said the ruling left some gaps which were difficult to understand.

    By cancelling election and ordering rerun in 18 out of the 31 local government areas in the state, he noted that the tribunal has left some questions unanswered,

    Offiong said. “For instance, we know that the governor of Akwa Ibom State cannot be deemed to have been elected on the basis of 13 local government areas given the fact that the state has 31 local government areas,” he said.

    “The governor could only be validly elected if he had scored at least 25 per cent of the votes in 24 local government areas of the state. By upholding election in 13 local government areas effectively means that the present governor was not validly elected. But because the tribunal did not expressly say so at the end of the day, gives room to confusion.”

    The lawyer also faulted the tribunal for calling for rerun in the 18 affected local government areas without indicating a definite time frame within which INEC should conduct the election. He insisted a lacuna could be created where all the parties fail to appeal the judgment of the tribunal. “I believe the tribunal could have said since election has been cancelled in the 18 local government areas and therefore the present governor was not validly elected, they should be a rerun within three months or a specified time frame. In that case, if any of the parties goes on appeal, the court would either uphold the ruling or change it,” he argued.

    But the Governor, reacting to the judgement on Thursday reacted to the judgment, said it is an indication that contrary to the allegation of the petitioner and his party, elections did hold in the state and he remains the governor having been voted by the people of Akwa Ibom State. He re-echoed the position of his legal team on the possibility of testing the judgment in the appellate court and urged the people of Akwa Ibom State to be calm and law abiding in the face of the judgment.

  • A’Ibom governorship tribunal: How Attah, Etiebet, INEC delivered the killer punch

    A’Ibom governorship tribunal: How Attah, Etiebet, INEC delivered the killer punch

    As the Akwa Ibom State governorship election petition tribunal adjourned till August 18 to allow the petitioner, Mr Umana Okon Umana, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), along with the other parties in the case the time to tender a mountain of INEC documents they all pleaded in their filings, it is an appropriate juncture to look at the milestones at the hearing of the petition so far.

    But before going further, let us put the adjournment into context in order to squelch the unfounded rumour that the break was asked for because the petitioner had run out of witnesses. That is far from the truth. The break was discussed and agreed on by all parties who need to sit together and sort the INEC documents, which they had all pleaded, into schedules for presentation to the tribunal at the resumed hearing.  The documents are of such volume that all parties, including the secretariat of the tribunal, have to work together to meet the deadline. Reacting to the motion for adjournment, which was made by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), counsel to the petitioner, counsel to all the other parties agreed that it should be allowed because the break was needed for a “joint venture.”

    For the milestones, rating easily as one of the critical junctures in the hearing of the governorship election petition were the decisions to relocate all the tribunals to Abuja, following security threats to members of the tribunal and witnesses to petitioners in matters before the tribunals. It is important to mention here that a witness from Onna, home local council to Udom Emmanuel, who was declared winner of the election, Hon. Etebom Christopher Itiat, a governorship candidate of the Democratic People Party in the election, was attacked and his house vandalised after going to Abuja to testify for Umana and the APC.

    Equally momentous also was the decision to move the electoral materials in INEC custody in Uyo to Abuja. In light of the discovery by the team of forensic experts working for the petitioners that INEC in Akwa Ibom was destroying electoral materials intended to be used as evidence in attempt to frustrate the petition, the movement was both significant and right in the interest of justice.

    Another milestone was the day hearing began into the substantive matter before the tribunal. What invested that day with so much significance was not just its rank as the first day in the epic legal battle whose outcome will serve as the reference point for dating history in Akwa Ibom State, but more so for the legal fireworks that fore grounded the lone testimony of the day. The lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), for the petitioner had opened the case by calling the first witness, Bishop Samuel Akpan, who was the governorship candidate for Accord Party in the would-be governorship election. Bishop Akpan in the witness box for Umana was an intrusive shock to the respondents, comprising Udom Emmanuel, the Peoples Democratic Party and INEC. They quickly showed it.

    Once they recovered from the shock, they went for the foundation of the case of the petitioner. Their game plan was to truncate the petition at that point with the argument—which could have easily fooled the unwary and the inexperienced—that Bishop Akpan and all the other witnesses that were to come could not testify before the tribunal because they were listed in their initials only by the petitioner in his filings before the tribunal. The trio of Paul Usoro (SAN) for Udom Emmanuel, first respondent; Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) for PDP, second respondent and Dr Onyiechi Ikpeazu (SAN) for INEC, third respondent, contended volubly and for about five hours that it was not allowed in law for witnesses to be identified by initials only, concluding therefore that all the witnesses listed by the petitioner stood disqualified. The petitioner, through his lead counsel, countered with the winning argument that such was allowed for security reasons, namely, possible attacks on witnesses—especially given the manifest truth that Akwa Ibom had been turned into a burning cauldron of violence in the last eight years, the calamity which climaxed in the build-up to and during the elections with some of the most gruesome murders and arsons imaginable. Thirty of the murders occurred on election day. Chief Olanipekun cited authority after authority on the use of initials by witnesses in court until he achieved enthymeme.

    The tribunal, headed by Justice Sadiq Umar, agreed with the petitioner and overruled the opposition. What would have been a fatal blow to the petitioner’s case was thus deftly defused.

    Of all the critical milestones in the hearing so far, Tuesday July 28 stands out as the most significant watershed yet at the tribunal sitting at the FCT High Court in Abuja. It was a day of great moment that lived up to its promise for the petitioner in the election dispute. The day also delivered on its full threat potential to the first, second and third respondents to the petition, namely, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel of the PDP, who was declared winner of the disputed election; the PDP and INEC. The promise and threat, depending on where you stand on the scale of justice, derived from the type of witnesses and kind of evidence that were to be led before the tribunal at the day’s session. They were easily the most ranking witnesses for the petitioner.

    The day’s session began with a back-breaking testimony by one of the high value witnesses, Atuekong Don Etiebet—former minister of petroleum resources, former presidential candidate and former life BOT member of the PDP—against Udom Emmanuel of the PDP, INEC and the PDP.

    Etiebet authoritatively told the tribunal that elections did not hold according to law on 11 April 2015 in Oruk Anam local council area where he comes from and where he was at home to vote on that Election Day. He testified to massive irregularities, including but not limited to ballot snatching, absence of ballot materials at polling units, and bloody violence instituted and directed by thugs and members of the PDP.

    He tendered four materials in evidence, namely, his voter’s card, his press statement condemning the sham elections, newspaper publication of the press statement and a video recording of his visit along with other leaders of the state and members of the APC to INEC head office in Uyo on the night of the election to see whether there was state collation of the ballot as should be the case at the INEC office which was the state collation centre. Etiebet said this was after they could not find INEC collating any results of the “elections” at any local government collation centre in most parts of the state. He said during the visit, they found the INEC head office in total darkness, with no work going on and the INEC REC Austin Okojie nowhere to be found on election night when the INEC head office ought to be a beehive of activities and Mr Okojie was duty bound to be at his post coordinating work. He also told the tribunal that the elders and others in the delegation to the INEC office delivered a written protest letter to the state REC, advising him not to dare call the elections which were irredeemably marred by wanton irregularities and violence. Yet the following Sunday morning, Etiebet told the tribunal, INEC announced the result of the “election” and declared Udom Emmanuel winner.

    Etiebet’s voter’s card, video recording of the visit to INEC head office on the night of the election, and press statement were accepted in evidence by the tribunal and marked as exhibits, but the newspaper reports of his press statement were rejected on the ground that the newspapers were not certified as true copies by the National Library of Nigeria as required by law. The legal team of Umana/APC at the tribunal said the rejection of the newspaper accounts of Etiebet’s press statement was of no legal significance since they were derivatives of the original press statement that had itself been accepted by the tribunal.

    The next witness for the day was HE Obong Victor Attah, former governor of Akwa Ibom State and leader of the Ibibio. Attah, who was magisterial in his deposition and statesman-like in deportment, tendered his PVC to prove that he was a registered voter but could not vote because elections did not hold in his town; he also tendered video recordings and testified orally to the effect that elections did not hold according to law in Ibesikpo Asutan local council area where he comes from. Both materials were accepted in evidence and marked as exhibits. Under cross examination intended to tar the former governor with the brush of partisanship, Attah left the following words on marble for the tribunal and those in and outside its precincts to ponder: “Excuse me my friend,” said Obong Attah to the opposition counsel cross examining him, with a hint of edge to his regal self disclosure, “I was a member of the National Conference and I personally coined the phrase ‘sanctity of the ballot.’ My concern does not lie with a party but with Nigeria. I want everything to be done right in my country. I am an elder statesman.” No one could fail to be struck by the poignancy of an eternal personal hurt in his voice.

    The super star witness for Umana/APC on the day in question was an NYSC INEC ad hoc staff member, an Ibo lady, who told the tribunal how PDP thugs invaded the unit where she served in Mbiabong, Uyo and carted away election materials allocated to the polling unit. She said the hoodlums arrived in vehicles with arms, shouting and hailing the PDP and grabbed the ballot materials under her watch. When she resisted them, she said, they beat her up, tore up her clothing and “threatened to send me to the wheel chair for life.” She said it was one of the good Nigerians who witnessed the attack that brought his jacket to cover her near nakedness. She added that she and her colleagues at the unit had to run for dear lives. She tendered the clothing as evidence, which was accepted and marked as exhibit.

    It was a bad day for the PDP and Udom Emmanuel at the tribunal. The INEC lady’s eye witness account of election violence and the violation of the sanctity of the ballot was so vivid and poignant that those who watched her could see the entire horror movie unfolding before their eyes. But it was also paradoxically so, so surreal.

    Before the adjournment to 18 August, the petitioner had presented his case before the tribunal for eight days out of the 14 days allotted to him to do so, and called 46 witnesses. He has six days left to complete the allotted time.

     

    • Otongaran is the director of media and publicity for the APC governorship campaign in Akwa Ibom State
  • A/Ibom assembly challenges FG on security

    A/Ibom assembly challenges FG on security

    The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has assured the people of the state of their safety, and challenged the Federal Government on the need to provide adequate facilities for security agencies in the country.

    The House Committee on Security, Youths and Sports, during a fact-finding mission to the Nigerian Customs Service Base, decried the state of the harbour of the Customs Service, Eastern Marine, Oron out-station, describing the place as” Not fit for human habitation”.

    The Deputy Chief Whip, who is also the Vice Chairman of the committee, Hon. Otuekong Nse Essien, said, “this place is not habitable, what you call barrack is not a barrack,” adding that the barrack should be well-funded by the Federal Government.

    “They don’t have access road, electricity and perimeter fence around the building. Nothing is functioning here. How do you evacuate your men in case of invasion by militants, since there is no access road to this place,” he questioned.

    Hon. Essien expressed surprise that the officers present during the visit had no riffle.

    He, however, sympathized with the command over the loss of an officer during a recent attack on the base by militants, and urged the Federal Government to live up to its expectations by putting the necessary machineries in place to ensure the safety of the officers and men of the command.

    In his reaction, the PRO, Ukpen Dikke, said the command has been subjected to series of attacks by militants. He cited the recent killing of an officer by militants, who also carted away 10 out of the 14 riffles available to the base.

    “The militants came through the waterways on boat and attacked the officers who were on duty. They broke into our armoury and carted away 10 out of the 14 rifles, killing one of the men in the process and injuring others.”

    He used the opportunity to call on the government to come to the aid of the service by providing them with good access road, perimeter fence and electricity, noting that the environment is always dark at night.

    He also appealed to the government to provide them with life-saving appliances, like life jackets and gunboats for their operation.

    The Chairman of the Committee, Rt. Hon Victor Udofia, assured the customs officers of the state government’s readiness to partner with security operatives in the state, stressing that every life is very important and should not be wasted.

    He promised that the committee will include all their demands in its reports to the assembly.

    Other members of the delegation are Hon Emmanuel Ekpenyong, Rt. Hon Uduak Ududo and Hon. Samuel Ufuo.

  • ‘43 died in A/Ibom road crashes in 2013’

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said it recorded 43 deaths and 100 road traffic crashes in Akwa Ibom in 2013.

    The Uyo Sector Commander of the corps, Mr Ocheja Ameh, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo.

    Ameh explained that those who died in the crashes were 32 male, 10 female and one child.

    The sector commander said there was a decrease in the number of deaths recorded in 2013 as against 50 deaths recorded in 2012.

    He also said there was a reduction in the number of road crashes in the state in the year under review, pointing out that 131 road crashes occurred in the state in 2012.

    He attributed the reduction to rigorous sensitisation campaigns carried out by the command, especially in the last quarter of 2013.

    “As a matter of fact, in 2013 we recorded 100 road traffic crashes in Akwa Ibom State as against 131 that we had in 2012. Out of the number of crashes during the year, 31 were fatal; but in the previous year, we recorded 35 fatal crashes. We have put a lot of measures in place to reduce road crashes in the state.’’

    Ameh said the dominant causes of road crashes in the state were speed limit violations and dangerous driving.

    He, however, said the command had seriously campaigned against speed limit violations and dangerous driving in the state to reduce crashes this year.

    He added that the command would organise other programmes in 2014 to drastically reduce the number of road crashes in the state.

    He said: “we have been educating the public on the need to install speed limit devices in all commercial vehicles in the state.”

    Ameh told NAN that all stakeholders in the transport sector in Akwa Ibom had signed an agreement that there would be strict enforcement of the speed limit device installation.

    “We have started discussion with Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC), a major transporter in the state, and the company has started installing the devices in its vehicles,” he said.

    He added that the corps would enter into similar agreements with other transport companies in the state.

  • ‘Zoning of A’Ibom governorship will throw up mediocrity’

    ‘Zoning of A’Ibom governorship will throw up mediocrity’

    Michael Bush is the Director-General of Ibom Medallion, a group rooting for the emergence of Umana Umana, the current Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Akwa Ibom State, as the next governor in 2015. In this interview with Kazeem Ibrahym, he speaks on the politics of the state and the controversial zoning arrangement. 

    As the Director-General of Ibom Medallion rooting for the governorship aspiration of the current SSG, Umana Umana, how far have you gone to sell his candidacy?

    Very far! But you know it is about strategy; it is about cause and effect. Ibom Medallion only came to set the stage. I think God helped us to have succeeded in doing that beyond expectations. We are glad that a majority of our people are elated to identify or side with this humane brand. Umana Okon Umana is easy to sell. Let me add that very soon we are going to return to set stage number two. We are just waiting for the right time to set the tempo for the next stage and I think that should begin from next month.

    You once supported zoning of the governorship in the past, why are you not supporting it for 2015?

    Yes, it is true that I went for election in 2011 and it is also true that I had a position on zoning then. I still maintain that position only that because of what happened, I have now gone ahead by removing that ambiguity on zoning. Now, I am on zoning but I want it to be to the best man. Zoning can only throw up mediocrity. And in any case, why waste time? You can never stop people in other zones from contesting. In the United States, nobody talks about zoning; it’s just about excellence. So for me, that is why I have re-engineered my position on zoning. I am not saying zoning is not good, but please zone it to best man.

    Why are you backing the aspiration of the SSG?

    The man is vast in experience. Have you ever imagined the reason Governor Akpabio did not just hit the ground running from day one; but that indeed he hit the sky flying from 29th May, 2007? The secret was his six-year experience in the previous administration. He knew the loopholes, so as soon as he returned to the field of play as captain, he changed the complexion of the game by simply overlapping through flanks he had marked out. That’s the power of experience. I think that is the same thing Umana will do.

    Opposition parties are merging to give the PDP a run for its money in 2015. How is the PDP in Akwa Ibom and Mr. Umana preparing for this challenge?

    Well, I don’t speak for PDP. But if you know PDP as I do, you will realise that it has a way of reinventing itself. PDP is even better anytime there is something you call crisis. I’m not sure they even call it crisis. They know what they call it, something like family affair. And you know every family that resolves its crisis always comes out better and stronger. The party is sharp enough to know that it will need the best man in Akwa Ibom for 2015 because, again back to the issue of zoning, you would have heard that All Progressive Congress (APC) is not considering zoning. It wants to put up the best against PDP. Is PDP going to do zoning and present a candidate that is not popular or loved by the people?

    There have been unconfirmed reports that Mr. Umana Okon Umana was presented to President Goodluck Jonathan by Governor Godswill Akpabio as the next Governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2015, but that the president rejected him. As an insider, can you clear the air on this?

    There are a number of things I will want to say on this issue. Number one is: as journalists, have we observed that anytime people, particularly those interested in 2015 governorship open their mouths to speak, their target is Umana Okon Umana? Have you ever wondered why this is so? I think it shows you clearly that he is the man to beat. By the way, I am not in government, so I am not speaking for the governor on this matter. I am only telling you what I know as somebody who should know. The first line is that it never happened. Of course you know that things don’t happen that way in politics. In fact if something like that were to happen at all, there is no way a governor, in the mould of Chief Akpabio, will take somebody to the president and the president would say no. So I want it to be on record that it never happened. I can confirm to you that Umana Umana will not only stand for the governorship ticket of the PDP, but he will grab it and by the grace of God, go on to win the governorship election in 2015.