Who is a deceiver? This is a question that only your conscience can answer. It is a question that Akwa Ibom people should judge and provide sincere answer to. The devil did not start today to accuse the righteous as the Bible clearly identified him as the accuser of the brethren. In our time, one of his sons who is faithfully doing the bidding of his father the devil, is doing what he knows best how to do: Betraying his master and deceiving his kinsmen.

There is a story credited to the former Commissioner for Works Ephraim Inyangeyen at Ikot Ekpene over the weekend where he said Ikot Ekpene people should refuse to be deceived again. As funny as that sound, it questions the moral standing of Ephraim Inyangeyen to give such a piece of advice.

Although he did not mention who he was referring to as deceivers, the people should know that Inyangeyen's movement, smile, body language, character and disposition are symbolism of deceit.

This is someone that has won many accolades for lying, a man that has been decorated in the Hall of Fame for liars.

How can you describe a man who would value your house, demolish same and gives you peanut as compensation while pocketing a greater percentage of the money for your property? Maybe there is something worse than a deceiver or traitor.

To start with, who was Ephraim Inyangeyen before 2015? We were told he was sacked from the Nigerian Custom Service. Despite that, his kind-hearted brother, the governor, picked him, brushed him up and offered him a juicy appointment as Works Commissioner, with the belief that he would deliver on his assignments. But what did Ephraim do? As someone who has been feasting on people's sweat and efforts without thinking of the suffering they would go through alongside their families, he started surcharging the people.

Ephraim Inyangeyen in his days as Commissioner made many Akwa Ibom people to cry, lament and wail helplessly. Some even developed cases of hypertension/high blood pressure. He was directly involved in compensating owners of buildings before demolishing buildings that needed to be removed before construction work commenced on some roads. He usurped the people's money. He would bring estate valuers that would dance to his tune, value the building and pay only a minute percentage to the owners of the buildings, and pocketed the rest.

People whose buildings were demolished could only afford to acquire land, but no money to build again. What a display of heartlessness? There was tears in the land. People were rendered homeless and families separated because of Ephraim Inyangeyen's selfishness.

But no one knew he was actually playing a script for today, so that he would have what to lay hands on and discredit the person who made him who he is today.

When Ephraim was the Commissioner for Works, citizens dragged the government to court and injunctions were placed for the government to discontinue construction work on several roads. A case in point is the family of Etukudo in Eket LGA where the learned members of the family filed cases against the Government because of Inyangeyen's trick and deceitfulness. He couldn't play on the intelligence of lawyers in that family and that thwarted the Eket remodeling project for over four years. He was busy abusing Etukudo's family on the media and told Eket People to hold the Etukudos responsible for the delay in the project, when he was actually the culprit.

He did similar thing to contractors. Contractors that would never succumb to his antics of negotiating his share, which in most cases were bigger than what was required to finish the job, would be pushed aside, while those that would dance to his tune were given contracts. He would bid with the these contractors and make lame offers that would put them at a crossroad where they could not deliver standard work at the end. Cases abound where road projects supervised by Inyangeyen collapsed less than 3 months after commissioning. The people blamed the governor for littering the state with substandard roads. The governor took the blows as a leader, when Inyangeyen was actually acting a script that he would use today against the governor. He is now the one castigating the governor for building substandard roads when he was directly handling the said construction work. What a world?

It breaks my heart that a man whom the governor so trusted with such sensitive position could betray the governor, his kinsmen and Akwa Ibom people. Today, he is preaching to people not to be allowed to be deceived again. Who is the deceiver here?

The present Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga is doing the same job Ephraim was asked to do, and nobody is complaining. There is no single court case. Buildings are demolished and compensations paid in tandem with current prices of building materials. If Ephraim wasn't removed, he would have built another edifice in choice location with the proceeds from sharp practices, especially in underpayment of building owners, to enrich himself.

Ephraim Inyangeyen should not talk about deceit where sane people are. Akwa Ibom people know him and his deeds are before all of us. The people suffered, cried and lamented during his reign of terror as works commissioner. Their tears will still hunt Inyangeyen.

When a crowned deceiver is the one campaigning for OBA, what do you expect in the end? All the people in their Campaign train are people who have benefitted so much from Udom's administration, and because they were not allowed to continue to embezzle funds meant for projects, they became aggrieved and decided to work against the Government that made them. The people should refuse to be deceived by these individuals.

Inyangeyen is known for promising and failing. He has promised to build houses to people but never did. He promised to give jobs to people but never did. He promised many cars, but never gave them. He promised many school fees, but never paid for them. He failed not because he didn't have the money, but because he is a selfish man.

In saner climes, people like him should not even talk in public again. He should be indoor because he has betrayed his brother, kinsmen and Akwa Ibom people. He deceived the people he demolished their buildings, and pocketed a greater percentage of the compensations meant for the owners of property. Who is now the real deceiver? Be the judge.

Richard Peters

"Thanks a vast for sharing these essential prospects with us and huge gratitude for that. The topic that you've stated is undoubtedly filled with significance and we really can't deny that fact.

Have a nice day!"

Uncle to lie Muhammad