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Tag: Governor Udom Emmanuel

  • EFCC invitation: APC group absolves Akpabio of campaign against Ex-Gov Emmanuel

    EFCC invitation: APC group absolves Akpabio of campaign against Ex-Gov Emmanuel

    The All Progressives Congress Media Network has absolved the Senate President Godswill Akpabio of smear campaigns in the media against former Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    It faulted the allegation of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that Akpabio is the sponsor of the media report of Emmanuel’s arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last week.

    The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement on Friday, accused the Senate President of orchestrating smear media campaigns against the immediate past governor of the state in respect of his invitation by the anti-graft agency.

    But the Director General of the APC Media Network, Otuekong Iniobong John in a statement on Saturday said that Akpabio has no hand in Emmanuel’s invitation by the EFCC and the media frenzy that followed.

    The statement reads in parts, “The All Progressives Congress Media Network has been compelled to address the defamatory allegations made by the factional National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),Debo Ologunagba, against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

    “We note that the factional National Publicity Secretary of the PDP failed to deny the fact that former Governor Udom Emmanuel was indeed invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). 

    “Mr. Emmanuel himself has acknowledged honoring the EFCC’s invitation, albeit without clarifying the purpose behind it.

    “The primary mandate of the EFCC is to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes in the country.Therefore, the reports regarding Mr. Emmanuel’s invitation by the EFCC cannot be attributed to a smear campaign orchestrated by Senator Akpabio or any other individual.

    “We categorically assert that Senator Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, has no business disseminating the news of the arrest/invitation of the former Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    “As the Senate President, he is focused on overseeing the operations of the National Assembly and has no interest in engaging with trivial matters”.

    The APC group said that it was sure that the national spokesperson of the PDP was acting the script of the Akwa Ibom state government.

    The statement further said, “It is unfortunate that the factional National Publicity Secretary of the PDP could condescend to making baseless and malicious statements. But We know that the press release by the factional National Publicity Secretary of the PDP was conceived and sponsored by the PDP government in Akwa Ibom State.

    “Some tribal bigots in the state have been propagating false propaganda that Senator Akpabio was behind the petition against ex-governor Udom Emmanuel. However, a PDP elder, Rt. Hon. Chief Ndueso Essien, has stated that Senator Akpabio was not involved in the petition.

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    “We challenge the PDP’s factional National Publicity Secretary to deny the fact that Mr. Udom Emmanuel was actually invited/arrested by the EFCC before accusing others of being behind the spreading of the news. 

    “We also ask if Senator Godswill Akpabio was the mastermind behind the arrest of former Governors Yahaya Bello and Ifeanyi Okowa, among others who have been investigated and prosecuted by the EFCC. This highlights the naivety, cluelessness and pettiness of the factional National Publicity Secretary of the PDP. 

    “The APC Media Network condemns the PDP’s shameless attempt to manipulate public opinion and tarnish Senator Akpabio’s reputation. Their desperate efforts to discredit him will not distract from their own glaring failures.

    “We urge the public to see through this cheap propaganda and hold the PDP accountable for their actions”.

  • Akwa Ibom group kicks over attack on ex-Gov Udom

    Akwa Ibom group kicks over attack on ex-Gov Udom

    Akwa Ibom United For Peace Movement (AKUPM) has criticised the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) for what it described as its continued attacks of former Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    The group, in a statement by chairman, Mr. Udeme Okon and Secretary, Mr. Victor Wilson urged NACAT to desist from smearing the image of the former Governor.

    It maintained Emmanuel performed creditably well in the development of the State and does not deserve the spurious allegations levelled against him.

    The group further stated the allegations if not checkmated, have the tendency of causing disaffection, disunity and disrespect amongst some individuals and sectors in the State.

    According to the statement: “The continuous insighting of the people through unsubstantiated petitions can inflame and polarize the State.

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    “At the end, what we will get would be enmity amongst the various ethnic groups in a state our past leaders had laboured to keep together for our common good adding that, Mr. Udom Emmanuel remains one of the best governors and visionary leader who sustained a united Akwa Ibom and the peace we are enjoying till today.

    “He is a detribalised leader, who ensured that there is equal development in the three Senatorial Districts of the state.”

    An indigene of Essien Udom Local Government, Mrs. Ekaete Mfon said the former Governor is an In -law of Annang Nation, who sees everyone in the State as his constituents, and remains the man of the people. His love for the people of Annang Land is undiluted and inseparable”.

    While the group further condemned the act of few individuals to constantly trying to create disunity among the peace – loving and good people of the State, listed in no particular order, the superlative achievements of Mr. Udom Emmanuel when he was Governor to include; the establishment of Ibom Air, which is the flagship of aviation development by a State government in the country.

    Others are: infrastructure, education, human capital development, health, security and social services etc.

    Akwa Ibom United For Peace Movement  called on the people to desist those they called “political contractors and Gladiators” from using them to achieve selfish political targets in order to cause dissatisfaction in the State.

  • Governor Udom Emmanuel and his 31 stooges

    Sir: I have come to the pathetic realization that Akwa Ibom State has retrogressed beyond immediate salvation. Contemporary goings-on even indicate that we have speedily retrogressed to depths unimaginable. Akwa Ibom has become an absurd theatre where the powers that be boldly perform stunts to the chagrin of the exploited masses.

    Well, for anyone in the dark on the essence of this piece, I hereby reference the fact that Governor Udom Emmanuel and the 31 Local Government Council Chairmen in the state have beaten their chests, vowing to make heavens fall now that the National Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has decided to activate financial autonomy for Local Government.

    Nigeria’s bicameral National Assembly, at some point needed at least 24 Houses of Assembly in Nigeria to ratify its proposal for amendment of clauses in the constitution to grant autonomy to local government.

    The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly under the Onofiok Luke infamously aborted the proposal, hence justifying his description of the Assembly as an Iron Seal of Udom Emmanuel’s Executive Arm. In December 2017, the Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, Uwemedimo Nwoko, at a stakeholders meeting on the proposed alteration of some sections of the 1999 Constitution convened by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, divulged thus: “The Akwa Ibom State government is against it (financial autonomy for Local government). There is nothing wrong with the joint account. What we should look at is not to abrogate the joint account, but to fine-tune it. Any attempt to create financial autonomy for the local government will collapse.”

    To worsen matters, full-blown crises have broken out between council chairmen and councillors. Tales of fisticuffs in councils are rife.

    Weeks ago, yours truly alongside his colleagues: Koko Robson and Michael Etok, went to Governor Emmanuel’s hometown of Onna, where the council boss had allegedly sent thugs to maim councilors for demanding to know how much allocation was sent by the state government. The Onna Legislative Council and the maimed councillors were in pitiable condition. Similar scenarios are replicated in other Local Government Areas of the state.

    As far the LG financial autonomy is concerned, one would have expected the powers that be to at least sound sensible while opposing it. The State Attorney General, who, a couple of years earlier had revealed that the state was against the autonomy, recently came out to say that the state is only opposing certain clauses in the NFIU guidelines. Sir, opposing “certain clauses” means that you are faulting the autonomy.

    I listened with trepidation the other day as two council chairmen went on air to say that absence of banks in some local government areas is why they are in court, challenging implementation of the autonomy. But these are people who have given no excuse for having personal bank accounts.

    Council chairmen starved of funds by the governor suddenly received a multi-million naira car each procured with a fraction of their statutory allocation. That’s how slavery manifests in my state. Of course, lackeys were installed by the governor as council chairmen. The governor’s wife biological brother, Mr. Ubong Idiong, holds sway as the council boss in Oruk Anam. In Etinan LGA, Mr. Cletus Ekpo, who is the biological brother to Mr. Paul Ekpo, PDP State Chairman, is the council chairman. Yes-men were also installed in other LGA. As the antics of the Udom administration continues, one may wish to preview what posterity has in the offing for the dramatis personae.

    When faced with the legendary submissions of John F. Kennedy: “When at some future date the high court of history sits in judgement on each one of us, recording whether in our brief span of service we fulfilled our responsibilities to the state, our success or failure in whatever office we may hold will be measured by the answers to four questions: Were we truly men of courage? Were we truly men of judgment? Were we truly men of integrity? Were we truly men of dedication?”

    In this regard, history will judge Governor Emmanuel and the 31 LG Chairmen harshly. Decades into the future, Akwa Ibom people will suffer the consequences of this act. bookmark their names and engrave their faces, as men who have been inducted into the hall of infamy.

     

    • Ofonime Honesty writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State via honestyofonime@yahoo.com.

  • Emmanuel mocks pastors who predicted he won’t be reelected

    Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel has mocked prophets and pastors who predicted that he would not be reelected, describing them as ‘fake’.

    Emmanuel, who spoke on Sunday during a convention service at the Insight Bible Church Uyo, warned the people to be wary of fake preachers and prophets as they are not called of God.

    His words: “I wasn’t invited to this convention. I just told my team we’ll be worshiping at Insight Bible Church.

    “My wife comes here once we don’t have any state function to attend.

    “As a Governor, I’m a member of every Bible-believing church where the truth is preached, not those fake churches.

    “There are those ones that said Udom Emmanuel will lose election.

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    “Let it be known that God didn’t call them. There are two types of pastors, the ones that God called and the ones that called God.”

    Emmanuel attributed the 2019 victory to the awesome power of God in the affairs of men and thanked God for defending His name and upholding the confidence of those whose trust are in Him.

    “I thank God for guaranteeing us victory, this further attests to our belief that those who put their trust in God cannot be forsaken.

    “It has also boosted the confidence of our people in the awesome power of God,” he said.

  • Ekere, Akpabio, Etiebet blame INEC for APC’s loss in Akwa Ibom

    EVEN with his declaration as governor-elect, Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel should not rejoice, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has said, insisting that the trophy was wrongly awarded to the incumbent

    Three APC leaders in the Southsouth state said the party would do everything legal to reclaim its victory, adding that their party won in 26 local government areas of the state.

    Obong Nsima Ekere (governorship candidate), Senator Godswill Akpabio and Chief Don Etiebet blamed APC’s loss in last Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu.

    According to them, the INEC chair refused to redeploy the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, from Akwa Ibom, in line with the umpire’s practice since 1999.

    Ekere, at a press briefing in his Ewet Housing Estate residence in Uyo, the state capital, alleged that Igini had from the outset shown through his utterances and actions that he was determined to frustrate the APC from winning elections in the state.

    He said: ‘“Now, interestingly, months before the elections, the APC family in Akwa Ibom State had expressed a lot of reservations about the character of Mr. Mike Igini.

    “We had told the entire country and the world that Mr. Igini had shown the world that he was far from neutral in the way he was preparing for the elections and his utterances amongst his staff during training sessions and the things he said showed clearly that the man had a mindset that he had sworn severally that under his watch, the APC cannot win elections in Akwa Ibom State.

    “All we wanted was for INEC to allow Akwa Ibom people decide for themselves who they wanted. It was not for INEC and the resident electoral commissioner to come and decide for Akwa Ibom people which political party must win and which one must not win under his watch.

    “He is supposed to be a neutral umpire. His (Igini’s) conduct and the things he has done both in the presidential and National Assembly elections and the gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections have confirmed our fears.

    “What we find so difficult to understand is why it was difficult for the INEC chairman and other authorities to listen to our pleas to change Mike Igini as the REC in Akwa Ibom.”

    Arguing that Igini had stayed long enough as the REC to be redeployed, the APC candidate said: “From 1999 when elections started again in this country, every election year, the REC and other staff of the INEC who have been resident in a state for a period of time were always moved around.

    “That way, you are sure they will not allow their alliances and their friendships they have developed in the state within that period they have stayed to influence their conduct.

    “Surprisingly, INEC refused to do this. And this is the first time this is happening. They allowed Mr. Igini to frustrate the wishes of Akwa Ibom people. This is most unfortunate.”

    Ekere insisted that his party was robbed of victory at the polls.

    He claimed that his party won in 26 of the 31 local government areas.

    Ekere said: “I want to thank the people of Akwa Ibom State for the love for our party which was expressed through the ballot paper on Saturday.

    “It was clear that from the result collated from the fields, our party, the APC won the election in 26 out 31 local government areas of the state. But we were denied of that victory in the connivance between the PDP and INEC

    “We have evidence of this and we will use appropriate legal means to reclaim the mandate. I urge you all to remain calm”

    Senator Akpabio also blamed the APC’s fate on Igini, saying he found it hard to understand why his Essien Udim Local Government Area, with voting strength of 105,000, was allotted just a bit above 6, 000 votes.

    He said the elections were massively rigged by the PDP in connivance with the INEC leadership in the state.

    Etiebet vowed that the APC will do everything legally permissible to reclaim its victory, insisting that the party won in 26 local government areas.

    He accused INEC of changing the results announced at various polling units which put the APC in a clear lead ahead of the PDP.

    Responding to the allegations  Igini said he came to the state to change the old way of doing things, adding that the election was free and fair, devoid of any bias.

    Igini asked the losers to direct their petitions to the tribunals.

    He said: ”We have conducted the elections, so I don’t want to be joining issues with people. I have heard everything they have said about me.

    ”After the elections, the constitution says results can only be questioned in the form of petitions and in election tribunals that have already been set up and inaugurated.

    ”At any point in time, any person who has issues with the outcome of the elections should go to the tribunal.”

    Igini denied backing any party, and challenged any politician to prove that he has ever had any private meeting with them or collected any form of gratification to rig the elections.

     

     

  • INEC declares Emmanuel winner of A’Ibom governorship election

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Udom Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party, winner of the governorship election in Akwa Ibom state.
    Emmanuel polled a total of 519,712 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Obong Nsima Ekere of the All Progressives Congress who polled a total of 171,978 votes.
    Collation officer for Akwa Ibom state in the governorship election and vice chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Osateri Orumasese announced the result of the governorship election.

    Read also: INEC declares Sokoto guber election inconclusive

    Agents of political parties had earlier signed the result except the agent of the APC, Archbishop Sam Akpan who rejected the result and walked out of the collation centre.
    The delay in the release of the final results of the governorship election was caused by the late arrival of results from Essien Udim.

  • Udom Emmanuel in clear lead in Akwa Ibom

    Results of the 30 local governments released so far in Saturday’s governorship election in Akwa Ibom State have shown Governor Udom Emmanuel is poised to win his re-election mandate with ease.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who has won all the local governments released so far, is in a comfortable lead in including Ikot Abasi, the local council of his main challenger, Obong Nsima Ekere of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    In the 30 local governments so far declared, Udom polled 518,002 votes to Ekere’s 165,299 votes.

    Results from Essien Udim, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s local government, are still being awaited.

    For instance, in Ikot Abasi, Emmanuel secured 9,335 votes, against Ekere’s 7,549.

    Four units were however cancelled in Edemaya, Ekere’s community in the council, due to irregularities.

    The APC state agent, Archbishop Samuel Akpan, has however rejected the results, saying they do not reflect the will of the people of Akwa Ibom expressed during the election.

    He said the exercise was married by massive rigging, declaring his party would not accept the outcome of the exercise.

    Allan said most of the Returning Officers for the various local governments are card-carrying members Governor Udom’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and we’re positioned to achieve a pre-determined outcome.

  • A’Ibom: Ekere optimistic of victory

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Obong Nsima Ekere, has said he is optimistic of defeating his opponent, Governor Udom Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Ekere, who cast his vote at about 10.49am at unit 004 ward 6, Ikot Oborenyin, Edemaya, Ikot Abasi LGA, hailed the peaceful conduct of the exercise in his polling unit.

    He was accompanied by his wife, Ese, who also voted. According to him, the governorship/assembly elections were more orderly and peaceful in the state than the presidential/national assembly elections.

    He, however, condemned pockets of violence in some areas in the state allegedly perpetrated by the PDP with assistance from hired hoodlums. The APC governorship candidate mentioned Ibiono Ibom local government area as one of the flashpoints of violence.

    Ekere revealed that he has already contacted security agencies on the threat to the exercise by agents of the PDP.

  • ‘We will supply electricity to Ikot Abasi’

    Ibom Power Company Limited has reiterated its commitment to the restoration of power supply to Ikot Abasi communities this year.

    Its Managing Director and Special Assistant on Power to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Meyen Etukudo, said Ibom Power took delivery of a 30MVA transformer last year which would be used in the construction of a brand new power substation at Ikot Abasi this year.

    “This transformer will provide dedicated steady and quality power supply to Ikot Abasi communities,” the MD said.

    Etukudo, who was a former Assistant General Manager (AGM) 330kV lines at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), said the 30MVA transformer has the capacity to distribute 24megawatts of electricity.

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    He added: “The electricity load demand at Ikot Abasi is estimated at 10megawatts therefore the excess electricity will be used to relief overloaded transformers within Ikot Abasi communities and to power emerging industries.”

    Etukudo added that Ibom power plant produces about 112megawatts with plans to add additional 38megawatts when the unit #2 of the plant is back on stream.

    The Board Chairman ,  Etido Inyang, who also spoke on the development in an interaction with stakeholders in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, said the initial plan of the Akwa Ibom State government was to install a 15MVA transformer in Ikot Abasi.

    Inyang said: “Ikot Abasi is an industrial hub for the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel. It is not a coincidence that the power plant is at Ikot Abasi the reason being that without power there is no industrialisation.”

  • A’Ibom 2019: Udom, PDP move to strengthen support base 

    Amid the growing political tension in Akwa Ibom state, arising from the lingering battle between the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) over who controls the state, Governor Udom Emmanuel and the PDP have stepped up moves to strengthen their support base and galvanize their people with the ongoing peace-building process in the party.

    Akwa Ibom state has been in the “eye of political storm” in recent weeks following the crisis in the state House of Assembly which led to a face-off between the state government and the police authority and led to heated altercations between the PDP and APC in the state.

    Read Also:Akwa Ibom: Udom’s service to God and humanity

    Apparently to aid this galvanization process and also help in dousing the palpable apprehension in the state, the PDP Integration and Harmonisation Committee, in a statement Wednesday, December 5 2018, announced the commencement of the second phase of interactions with aggrieved stakeholders and other members of the party who have concerns over diverse issues in the party, which include what they refer to as “poor reward mechanism”.

    According to the statement in Uyo the state capital, signed by the Committee secretary, Barrister Goddy Umoh, who is also the legal adviser to the party in the state, this second phase will “entertain complaints from individuals who have sent private petitions to the Committee through its dedicated phone numbers, email and website.”

    The Committee, headed by His Excellency, Engineer Patrick Ekpotu, former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state, was inaugurated by Governor Udom Emmanuel, in October and charged with the responsibility of bringing together every aggrieved parties in the recently concluded primary election exercise of the PDP in the state, with the aim of addressing their grouses, in order to present a united front in the coming 2019 governorship election.

    Barrister Umoh revealed that the “Integration and Harmonisation Committee started interactions with stakeholders of the first sets of local government areas on October 26. In that first phase the Committee hosted and received complaints from people from eight local government areas, which included, Ikono, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, Itu, Nsot Ibom, Nsit Atai, Mkpat Enin and  Urue Offong/ Oruko.”

    Different interests within the party in the local government areas that have met with the committee were said to have unburdened their grievances to the committee. Issues ranging from people who felt shortchanged by the system at the party primaries after working hard for the party or communities/wards that raised concerns over seeming neglect by successive governments in the state in the areas of either projects or political appointments were presented to the committee.

    The committee, working closely with the governor on the Integration and Harmonisation process has assured that a “mechanism is in place with the full backing of the governor to address these concerns in order to assuage the apprehension of the people, because the spirit of setting up the committee is not only to help our party put its house in order, in this peculiar challenging period in the state,  but essentially to heal wounds and encourage inclusiveness by integrating every interest for peace, progress and unity of our dear state.

    “So far the response by the people has been very impressive. As should be expected in this kind of setting, we have been having explosive but very frank sessions with participants from different local government areas, as people are encouraged by the committee to air their views with sincere openness, aimed at a dispassionate resolution. The beautiful aspect of our often heated sessions is that sometimes people came with palpable apprehension, but often would live with smiles and genuine convivial embrace and handshake.”

    Umoh disclosed that after attending to these individual complainants, the Committee, would then resume its interactions with the remaining local government as according the statement, “the objective is to achieve equity, fairness and justice in the party, which will ultimately lead to peace and harmony in the PDP family, and essentially more electoral success by the party in the state.”