THE INTRIGUES OF ABUJA POLITICAL MUSKETEERS SEEKING TO CLAIM THE SOUL OF AKWA IBOM STATE TREASURY


UYO SENATORIAL DISTRICT MEDIA PRACTITIONERS' FORUM (USDMPF)

#12 Jubilee School Road,
Uyo
Akwa Ibom State

PRESS STATEMENT


It is understandable by now that post election legal battles orchestrated by the opposition elements in Akwa Ibom are simply political ploys by the Abuja political musketeers seeking the proverbial throat of Akwa Ibom State Treasury through the antics of myopic political surrogates.

This fight is not strange to Akwa Ibom people. This same battle was fought during the " Warsaw saw War" days in 2019 but justice prevailed.
The same voice of Esau and hand of Jacob are at it again.

The ultimate aim is to have access to Akwa Ibom State Treasury by all means and at all costs.

However, the Uyo Senatorial District Media Practitioners' Forum (USDMPF) is worried by the unending legal battles and landmines plotted by the opposition elements to distract the progress of Akwa Ibom State's Golden Era meant to herald more Peace, Security, Wealth and Prosperity for the people.

A recent Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1247/2023 instituted by the Inspector General of Police(IGP) through a Motion Ex-Parte seeking document and records of WAEC from Heads of National Office of WAEC and WAEC itself at the Federal High Court in Lagos concerning a matter which had been decided by the Supreme Court of the Land calls for concern as to why Akwa Ibom State has become of such great interest to Abuja, Nigeria and the IGP.

While the Police is free to engage in it's investigation process, a few questions beg for answers simultaneously in this regard.

Who is the IGP answerable to and from who does he take instructions in Nigeria?

Why is Akwa Ibom State Post Election case of interest to the IGP to the extent of seeking an Ex-parte Order to compel the WAEC Officials and WAEC itself to avail his investigation Team with examination records of an entire Examination Centre(Victory High School, Ikeja) in Lagos State for the sake of one man?

Is the IGP taking instructions from Obong Bassey Albert a k.a. OBA of the YPP; Mr Akan Okon; Mr Akan Udofia who wandered into the APC at the eleventh hour and became its controversial governorship candidate, or Senator John James Akpanudoedehe of the NNPP?

Put differently, because of the tortoise Politics that some Akwa Ibom people are used to, is the IGP taking directive from Senator Godswill Akpabio, Nigeria's Senate President?
Or is he listening to President Tinubu on matters relating to Akwa Ibom?
Are all these legal antics a ploy to take over AKWA IBOM STATE TREASURY through the political surrogates using the Court?

The Police is an Agency of government with the primary aim to enforce law and order but finding the Police going back to the matter that went from High court to Appeal court and up to the Supreme Court and was settled, to begin demanding for fresh documents is really intriguing and calls for concern. Whatever fresh investigation is going on, the police should know that there is a subsisting judgement in REM on the matter which is binding on all.

Indeed, something is in the offing. With the Olive Branch offered by Distinguished Senator Chief Godswill Akpabio, and publicly embraced by His Excellency Pastor Umo Bassey Eno at the emergence of the former as the Nigerian Senate President, it is inadmissible to contemplate that Senator Akpabio's Olive Branch could have been a poisonous chalice.

The USDMPF feels that this new antics is nothing short of a gang up against Akwa Ibom State Governor to truncate the mandate (by all means) willingly and overwhelmingly handed him by Akwa Ibom people, or worse still, adopt the carrot and stick tactics to intimidate Pastor Umo Bassey Eno to defect to the ruling APC which remains unacceptable as majority of the people know that PDP is like a Religion in the oil rich State.

The intimidation of the governor and his constant harassment in the media and the recent Suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos by the Police are all ploy to distract the governor and force him to eat the APC's humble pie which is bad and callous.

Petitioning the INTERPOL on such document that the issuer, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) had claimed continuously to be theirs, betrays the governor's traducers as being insensitively evil.

It is sad and ridiculous that all these merry go round from INTERPOL, to Police IG and to the Federal High Court in Lagos is all about WAEC Certificate of His Excellency Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, a matter long decided by the Supreme Court of the Land.

The bad losers behind the charade should let Akwa Ibom breathe, and should know that their individual interest and egoistic quest for power cannot supercede the interest of over 7.9 million Akwa Ibom people.

The truth remains that Pastor Umo Bassey Eno won the election fair and square, got declared as winner and sworn-in to office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State. The earlier Obong Bassey Albert, Mr Akan Okon, Mr Akan Udofia, and Senator John James Akpanudoedehe come to terms with this truth, the better.

The governor needs concentration now to work, not unnecessary distractions continuously fuelled by opposition elements and their Abuja cohorts. The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal should be allowed to finish it's work.
Akwa Ibom people should rise up and condemn this evil men who's aim is to deface the hard earned reputation and integrity of the Governor.

Governor Umo Eno, the true symbol and identity of Akwa Ibom State, shouldn't for any reason be seen in the image these bad losers are labouring so hard to portray.

Enough is Enough

Ofonime Isong,

Chairman Management Committee, USDMPF