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Tag: Emmanuel

  • Emmanuel: 2019 elections will mark the end of godfatherism

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has said his victory in the March 3 governorship election will mark the end of ‘godfatherism’ in the state.

    According to Emmanuel, the era where people play God in the state was over as the people were determined to stop one man from deciding their destiny

    The governor, who spoke yesterday during the 2019 Solemn Assembly at Ibom Hall Ground in Uyo, called on the people to see the next two months as an important one, as they would make critical decision on who will govern them.

    The service, with the theme: “You are God, You alone”, was drawn from II Kings 19:19.

    He said: “Fellow Akwa Ibomites, this is a critical year, a year you will make consequential decisions; a year that will determine if you will continue to live in peace and prosperity, or return to the dark and scary years of kidnapping, violence, politically-motivated killings, the era when men played God and you were too scared to lift your voices or raise your hands to complain without being murdered or kidnapped.

    “This year is a critical year, an election year that will determine if the Akwa Ibom story will continue to be written glowingly or a return to the ugly and dark chapters when state resources were used to build monuments of little consequence to your lives, when applause meant more to them than a careful application of the enormous resources available to secure the future of our children. This is the stark choice you have to make.

    “I, therefore, urge you not to give in to lies of certain individuals who, when they had the opportunity to establish industries, did nothing but to erect white-elephant projects and monuments. The same people who had promised you 31 industries in 31 councils but could not establish a sachet water factory are back together, promising you heaven on earth. Do not believe them!

    The governor reminded the people that in 2015, he promised them industrialisation, stressing that he has done that by establishing 15 viable industries. He reminded the people that it is only God who would determine the course of development in the state, adding that even in the election proper, it is God alone who would guarantee free and fair election in February and April.

    He added: “In the next one and half months, my dear people, we will go to the polls to elect our leaders, and as the theme of this event says, it is God alone who will determine who governs us; it is He alone who will determine the course of our growth and development, it is He alone who will guarantee us a violence-free elections; it is He alone who will shame the plans and machinations of mere mortals.”

    The governor urged the people to reject the plans of the “enemies” of the state when they come with their blackmail.

    “I came here to serve you as your servant-leader, to feel your pulse, your anxieties and to work hard to solve our problems based on the resources we have been availed,” he added.

  • Akpabio: Emmanuel has not done well

    Senator Godswill Akpabio has criticised Governor Udom Emmanuel for not performing.

    Akpabio said his successor had failed to initiate and complete any project since he handed over to him.

    The senator spoke at the weekend while addressing supporters at his campaign kick off and inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) office in Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government.

    He said he was disappointed in Emmanuel for insulting him despite bringing him from Lagos and making him governor

    He said: “I gave him the platform which he contested the election and became governor, though he was not a member of any political party. Today, he has the temerity to call a conference to insult me. Only God could have made it possible to make someone who was never a party member to become a governor. Only God could have made somebody who has never had a party card or know what is called ward to become a governor.

    “Only God could have made someone who could not have stood election on his own, even as a councillor and win, to be brought from somewhere and made governor. Only God could have made a man who has never helped anyone to become anything to become governor.”

    Akpabio urged the people not to bother about the insults on him but rather respond through the ballot by sending PDP packing in 2019.

    He said Ikot Ekpene remained a hot bed for APC and so the people should ensure they vote for the party.

    The former governor hinted that the Vice President would visit the state to launch the Trader Moni where market women would benefit from the scheme with cash grants by the Federal Government

    According to him, Akwa Ibom appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts in infrastructural development, and the appointments the APC administration had offered Akwa Ibom sons and daughters.

    But Commissioner for Information and Strategy Charles Udoh has refuted allegations of non-performance on Emmanuel, saying no first term governor could beat Emmanuel in performance.

    He said: “Despite the challenges of a receding national economy, Governor Emmanuel has recorded landmark achievements.

    “Today, Akwa Ibom is the fastest developing state in Nigeria. With over 12 industries in just three and a half years, upgrade of secondary healthcare across the 10 constituencies, roads and infrastructure, agriculture and food sufficiency, to improvements in education, it has been a harvest of achievements.

    “These would not have been possible if the governor had succumbed to the “blood sucking” antics of the former governor who, despite leaving so many phony uncompleted projects, enjoys all the largesse befitting a former governor and much more.”

  • ‘Emmanuel responsible for Akwa Ibom crisis’

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State says the decision of Speaker Onofiok Luke to declare vacant the seats of the APC lawmakers, which had the backing of Governor Udom Emmanuel, sparked off the House of Assembly crisis.

    As the leading political party in Akwa Ibom State, we are shocked, embarrassed and petrified by the crisis that has engulfed our State House of Assembly in the last one week, and from all our investigations, we wish to state categorically that Gov. Udom Emmanuel is solely responsible for this crisis and so he should bear full responsibility for it. This problem and the manner in which Mr Udom Emmanuel has managed it have once again underscored our repeated warnings that our governor is not only incompetent in executing the office of the governor, but lacks the temperament and maturity to hold the exalted office. He is irascible, petty, small-minded, intolerant and arrogant, and so the governor’s strings of political difficulties are largely self-afflicted and will likely consume him in the weeks ahead.

     

    Genesis of the crisis

    On Monday last week (Nov 19), Mr Onofiok Luke, the then Speaker of the House of Assembly, declared the seats of five APC members of the House vacant on the excuse that they had decamped from the PDP, despite the fact that the five members had either obtained a court injunction against the Speaker as in the case of Hon. Nse Ntuen, or had instituted a court action against the Speaker in order to preempt such action by the Speaker. But as we are reliably informed the former Speaker’s went ahead to declare their seats vacant because of immense pressure from the governor who had vowed that the five members would never return to the House for their temerity to defect from the PDP.

    It was for this reason that the Governor stormed the House of Assembly in the morning of Tuesday, 27th November, accompanied by a large crowd of thugs, some policemen, officials of the DSS and some of his Commissioners and other government officials. In the Assembly, the five APC lawmakers were beaten up by the Governor’s thugs, obviously on the orders to the governor. To the horror of onlookers, the accompanying security officials did not come to the rescue of the pummeled APC legislators. At least one of them, Mr Ntuen, has been hospitalised for his injuries sustained at the hand of these cultists.

    As if all these were not enough and to add salt to injury, Udom Emmanuel returned to Government House and addressed a press conference. Flanked by his Commissioners and PDP Chieftains, Udom Emmanuel shamelessly lied against the Police authorities, the APC lawmakers and some leaders of our Party, notably Senator Godswill Akpabio. The Press Conference was repeatedly showed on AIT this evening as a sponsored programme. He made the following false allegations:

    1. The new Commissioner of Police in the state is partisan and had helped the APC law makers gain access into the premises of the Assembly.
    2. The new CP should be removed from office
    3. The crisis is orchestrated by our Party as a prelude to, or excuse for, postponing of the Governorship Election in the State
    4. Senator Akpabio and other APC leaders are behind the crisis
    5. Senator Akpabio has no known address since left office as governor in 2015
    6. President Buhari should intervene in the crisis

     Read also: OBJ’s visit: Udom Emmanuel’s swansong 

    Our take and observations

    Watching the Governor on TV this evening, we note that Mr Udom Emmanuel appeared glazed and sounded uncoordinated, inebriated and disjointed. We are convinced that Mr Udom Emmanuel is no longer of sound mind and good mental health.

    We note also that in many Houses of Assembly across the federation, and indeed in both the Senate and House of Representatives, there have been many cross defections across party lines in the last several months. It is only in Akwa Ibom House of Assembly that the Speaker, goaded and pressured by the governor, has been intolerant and immature enough to declare seats vacant. An Ibibio proverb says: He who takes ants-infested firewood into his home should be ready to receive lizards. The former Speaker and his governor should be ready to solve this problem they brought upon themselves, or they would bear full consequences. Last year, the only APC member in the our House of Assembly elected on the platform of our Party, Hon. Asukwo Archibong, had defected to the PDP. Mr Onofiok Luke did not declare his seat vacant. The Governor was happy about it. As a Party, we handled the loss of the only lawmaker with calmness and fortitude. But this year, in an uncanny reversal of fortune, five PDP members have moved into our Party, Udom Emmanuel and his Stooge, Onofiok Luke, are too bigoted to bear the humiliation! How can the duo expect peace with such a level of injustice, impunity and double standards?

     

    Our conclusion and prayers

    1. We express absolute confidence in the new Commissioner of Police who arrived the State only a few days ago on his new posting. We ask him to perform his duties creditably well no matter the inducement and intimidation from Udom Emmanuel.
    2. It is only the Inspector General of Police that can deploy the Commissioner of Police, and so the call by Udom Emmanuel for the transfer of the new CP is a misplaced flippancy and abuse of office and privilege
    3. Since Udom Emmanuel instigated this crisis by pressuring Mr Onofiok Luke to declare the seats of the APC legislators vacant, both of them should solve the problems. Calling on the President to intervene in the crisis they created is childish and amateurish.
    4. Senator Godswill Akpabio has no hand in this crisis; and so the governor’s resort to heaping insults and abuse on him is amounts to creating distraction. Since Senator Akpabio left the PDP in August, our governor has been so psychologically deflated that he blames the distinguished senator for all his afflictions, including his family problems!
    5. Should the governor fail to address this problem, we call on the President to declare a State of Emergency in Akwa Ibom state and subsequently remove Udom Emmanuel from Office. Udom Emmanuel has not only flouted the law and breached the principle of separation of powers by invading the House of Assembly with murderous gang of thugs, the governor himself appears to be too unwell to occupy the exalted office.

     

  • Fed Govt stoking crises in states with security agencies, say Atiku, Clark, Emmanuel

    PEOPLE’S Democratic Party presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, former Federal Commissioner for Information Chief Edwin Clark and Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel have expressed concern over the increasing use of security agencies by the Federal Government to allegedly stoke crises in some states to intimidate opponents.

    They spoke at the meeting of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the umbrella body of traditional rulers, leaders and stakeholders of Niger-Delta states at the weekend in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

    Abubakar and Clark specifically mentioned Akwa Ibom and Rivers, Bayelsa, Ekiti and Osun as some of the affected states .

    The former Vice President, represented by his running mate, Dr. Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said while addressing PANDEF members at Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, that the Federal Government was using security agencies to abet and aid what is wrong.

    He listed Akwa Ibom and Rivers as states being used as guinea pigs, adding: “And nobody is talking, when you talk, you become an enemy.”

    He also said there was nothing on ground in Niger Delta region where the resources of the country were derived, promising that if elected, his administration will focus on turning things around and ensuring that the country is governed by the rule of law.

    Abubakar said: “Niger Delta is where the resources are and when you travel around, you are not able to see anything on ground. In this country, you must insist and there is no reason in being fearful. We are committed to building a better Nigeria and unify Nigeria. We will focus on turning things for the better.”

    The PDP presidential candidate, who reaffirmed his commitment to restructure the country if voted into power come 2019, maintained that restructuring the country was the only way to go to ensure rapid and sustainable growth.

    “I am only joining to say that we need true federalism and we need it urgently; it will make Nigeria work. There is no country in the world that things are working as it is working in Nigeria. We must tell our leaders the truth and we must demand that they do the right thing,” he stated.

    Emmanuel, in his comments, said: “We want the country to have true federalism so that we will not have all these problems we are having. If we have a state police, it will be more law-abiding.

    “They are using this restructuring to intimidate us in the Niger Delta. Everything is about politics and when this 2019 comes and goes, what will we do again? Everything is on partisanship. It should not be. Even though they have sounded the drum of war, this state is still the most peaceful one in the country.”

    Clark frowned at what he described as increasing trend of desecrating the national institutions, particularly the Army and Police by using them for political gains.

  • Emmanuel calls for redeployment of CP

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has accused the police of colluding with All Progressives Congress (APC) members to truncate democracy in the state by aiding and abetting the “illegal invasion” of the Assembly by sacked APC lawmakers.

    Addressing reporters at the Governors’ Lodge yesterday, Emmanuel called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to immediately redeploy the Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo.

    He also accused the police high command of refusing to arrest his administration in containing the excesses of the APC, adding that the conspiracy of silence and aloofness was worsening the security situation and hurting democracy .

    Emmanuel said: “Let the commissioner that they just posted last weekend, let’s assume that he has finished his course, I want to call on the police that the commissioner must be withdrawn. The head of the Quick Rapid Squad (QRS) must be withdrawn so that we can maintain peace.

    ”I want to let the whole world know that Nigerians fought and gave their lives in this country so that we may enjoy democracy that we currently have today, but in Akwa Ibom State due to the ambitions of selfish people, democracy is being threatened in Akwa Ibom State.”

    He decried the situation where the police, funded with the state’s resources to maintain peace and order, would rather chose to assist in causing a breakdown of law and order.

    The governor said: “Just recently, the Excess Crude Account that was kept by our own people has been used to acquire military weapons. So, those weapons will be used to intimidate Akwa Ibom people.

    ”I have never heard anywhere that police are partisan. This is the first time where the entire police structure belongs to a political party, but since we don’t have  a police, we don’t have have anything apart from God and our people. “

    Stressing that the state has been the most peaceful, the governor said: “We maintain all oil installations so that money could be gotten out of here and be sent to Abuja for the peace to be maintained.

    “It is the same police, today supervised by the Commissioner of Police, who came in against the court of law and what did the speaker do? The speaker was maintaining law and order.

    The governor recounted that it was not the first time seats of defectors had been declared vacant, adding that the speaker acted based on the order of the court.

    “Last night (Monday) we heard about this and called the Commissioner of Police and said ‘we’ve heard that you want to escort those sacked five members against the rule of law’ and he denied.”

    He identified the mastermind of the crises to include “people that this state has given the opportunity to become what they never dreamt they could become; people that other people have given them the opportunity to become a commissioner for six years and a governor for eight years making it 14 years.

    ”Whoever is calling for this; let him go there and fight. We say ‘no’ to the siege by the police; we hope that we will be supported by the international community and all and sundry.”

    The factional speaker, Nse Ntuen, yesterday narrated his ordeal. He alleged that the governor supervised his beating by youths suspected to be thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He spoke with The Nation at a private clinic Off OlusegunObasanjo Way (Abak), where he was admitted shortly after the early morning commotion at the Assembly.

    Ntuen, who sustained injuries on his head, stomach and hands, alleged that he was beaten to a pulp while the governor watched with glee.

    He said: “On our way out, the governor drove into the premises of the Assembly Complex with Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, the former director of State Security Service (SSS) who is the SSA to the governor, Mr. Fubara Duke and I was beaten up.

    “When I heard the governor was coming, I waited patiently for him. When he arrived, I was led before him by policemen and officials of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    “The governor started asking me why we are fomenting trouble in the state and I was about explaining when suddenly the governor walked away with the security officials and left me alone with thugs who immediately pounced on me and there was no one to help me. I only escaped by the whiskers.”

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has alleged that the APC-led Federal Government was working with security agencies to disrupt next year’s governorship elections in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

    He alleged of a move to mobilise the Federal Government’s rigging security apparatus  from all other states to the two states on a later date for the manipulation of the two strategic  governorship elections.

    Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Robert Petri, the Rivers State Governor urged the European Union (EU) to pay closer attention to the two elections.

     

  • Coalition adopts Emmanuel for second term

    A coalition of human rights, civil society and community based organisations has adopted Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, as its candidate for the 2019 poll.

    Its chairman, Rev. Hilkia Elithah, told reporters the coalition arrived at the decision at its 15th plenary session.

    Elithah informed that the adoption of the governor was based on his outstanding performance in office.

    In the last three and half years, he stated, Emmanuel has maintained peace in the state as well as sustained the free education policy for indigenes in addition to massive industrialisation drive.

    The coalition added that the governor has also constructed roads, driven employment programmes and revamped the agricultural sector as well as ensured prompt payment of salaries.

    Elithah said: “The coalition reasons these developmental milestones are unique and unprecedented since the creation of the state, and as such deserves kudos and the support of well-meaning citizens of the state.

    “The coalition, being apolitical by nature, gives its total support to His Excellency, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, for the 2019 general elections as a person, considering his score card so far, not his political party or any party for that matter since we do not support political parties but individual performance.”

    He maintained the coalition, an amalgamation of 25 independent, voluntary NGOs, is aimed at mobilising for promotion and protection of right to lives, transparency, accountability and the rule of rule law.

    He assured that the coalition will soon embark on door-to-door sensitisation of the people to see reasons why Emmanuel should be reelected.

  • Seamstress bags five month imprisonment

    A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna on Monday sentenced a 35-year-old seamstress, Martina Felix, to five months imprisonment for absconding with her customer’s fabrics.

    The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, sentenced Felix, a resident of Kudenden in Kaduna, after she pleaded guilty to a two-count of criminal breach of trust and cheating.

    Emmanuel, however, gave the convict an option to pay N5, 000 fine.

    Read Also: Alleged motorcycle theft: Court grants N200,000 bail to accused

    He ordered the convict to pay additional N33, 000 as damages for the materials and another N15, 000 for expenses incurred during her prosecution.
    Emmanuel said the convict would get additional one-month imprisonment if she defaulted in her payments.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, had told the court that Mercy John of Nasarawa in Kaduna State, reported the case at the Kudenden Police Station in Kaduna on Oct. 12.

    Leo said the complainant gave the accused some fabrics to sew in March which she failed to sew.

    “The accused did not make the clothes as agreed and all effort to get the fabrics from her proved abortive.

    “Felix absconded with the fabrics to an unknown destination until she was seen and arrested,” he said.

    Leo said the offence contravened Sections 217 and 292 of the Criminal Law of Kaduna State, 2017.

  • Akpabio’s kinsmen back Emmanuel for second term

    kinsmen of former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, have thrown their weight behind the second term bid of Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    The people of Annang nation, the ancestral home of Akpabio, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), said they will support the governor for second term in the interest of equity and fairness.

    The Itai Afe Annang (IV), Okuku Dr. Pius Effiong Esideh, made this position known on behalf of Annang people at the enlarged Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting at Independence Hall Abak.

    The first class monarch described Emmanuel as a leader that has touched the lives of citizens of the state in many aspects, including the industrialisation drive, which he said will create employment opportunities for unemployed youths.

    The monarch further commended Emmanuel for the prevalent peace in the state and in particular for resolving the long intractable armed youth violence in Ukanafun and Etim Ekpo local government areas.

    He called on all sons and daughters of Annang to go out and vote for Udom and other candidates of their choice in the 2019 General Elections.

    While affirming the necessity for power shift in the state, Okuku Esideh, therefore, believed support for the governor would be for the overall interest of Annang nation as a minority ethnic group.

    He stated: “Realising equality is equity and there being no justifiable reason given to us as to why Governor Udom Emmanuel should not be supported to go for a second term and being aware that the Annang people may be destroying the foundation we have helped to lay, thereby closing the possibility of another Annang son/daughter being allowed to occupy the office of the Governor in Akwa Ibom State if we allow personal interest of individual to overshadow the general interest of Annang people.

    “We thought it right and proper to support the second term bid of Governor Udom Emmanuel.”

    He pleaded with the governor to site some of the industries in Annang land.

  • Emmanuel presents N670.72b budget for 2019

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel yesterday presented the 2019 budget of N670.72 billion to the House of Assembly.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the budget, christened: “Budget of Industrialisation for Poverty Alleviation,’’ is higher than that of the 2018 figure of N646.65 billion by N24.07 billion.

    The budget is made up of N97.09 billion recurrent expenditure, N445.94 billion capital expenditure and consolidated revenue of N127.69 billion.

    Emmanuel said the projected recurrent revenue for 2019 was N374.24 billion as against N289 billion in 2018.

    He said the budget was predicated on oil benchmark of $60 per barrel at a production rate of N2.3 million barrels per day, with estimated exchange rate of N305 per dollar.

    The governor said the budget was intended to establish more industries and attract more direct foreign investments.

    Emmanuel noted that the preparation was guided by the International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS), saying the objectives were to broaden and diversify the state’s resource base through improvements in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    The budget would also boost production of local businesses through promotion of trade, commerce and tourism between the state and the world.

    According to him, the objectives of the budget would develop agriculture through supply of improved agric input, credits and extension services.

    The governor said the policy objectives was also aimed at maintaining good working relationship with the central government to attract federal presence to the state.

    He added that the 2019 policy framework would ensure accountability and transparency in government by fighting and tackling corruption.

    A breakdown showed N100.66 billion was budgeted for administration while economy got N286.12 billion.

    Law and Justice got N10.07 billion while regional and social sectors were allocated N1.96 billion and N47.13 billion.

    Further highlights showed that roads, works and transport got the lion share of N157.31 billion, with education allocated N15. 05 billion.

    Agriculture got N13.06 billion and land, housing and urban renewal N53.62 billion.

    The Speaker, Mr Onofiok Luke, assured the governor the lawmakers would quicken the consideration process to ensure speedy passage of the appropriation bill.

  • Emmanuel deserves second term, says aide

    The Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Marketing and Brand Management, Mr. Louis Udom, has begun grassroots campaign for the reelection of his principal in 2019.

    Udom, who took his campaign to Unit 2, Ikot Ibritam Ward one in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, urged all electorate in his area, urging the people to vote for candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Emmanuel.

    He said Emmanuel should continue in office till 2023 to enable him consolidate on his achievements in the areas of infrastructure and industrialisation.

    The governor’s aide mentioned the Ikot Ibritam-Ikot Ekpuk- Inen Ekeffe road as one of the projects which has been fixed by the current administration after years of neglect by past administrations.

    Udom assured the people that they would gain more in terms of facilities, human capital development and employment opportunities through aggressive industrialisation drive of the government, if they can give Emmanuel second term in office.

    He recalled that Akwa Ibom had accepted PDP from 1999, urging the people to sustain the cordiality. He said no political party has anything on ground to show in the state, except PDP which has remained in heart of the people from the inception of the democratic dispensation.

    The supervisor for Youths in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Mr. Kufre Ndarake Sam, expressed gratitude to the governors’ aide for his initiative.

    Ndarake urged other public office holders to emulate the example to make the campaign easier for  Emmanuel next month in line with directives of Independent National Electoral commission (INEC).