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Akpabio, Attah flex muscles
-As Attah's Supporters are chased from
Emenyi's burial
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Crisis was last Friday averted
in Oron during the burial of a former PDP chairman in the
State, Chief Tony Emenyi. Reports have it that some former
commissioners and allies of the immediate past governor of
the state, Arc. Victor Bassey Attah had hired 5 luxurious
buses to convey the former governor's supporters to Oron
stadium venue of the burial ceremony of the former party
boss in the state.
The reports further alleged that at Uya Oro junction, some
persons suspected to be supporters of the state governor,
Chief Godswill Akpabio, blocked the road leading to the
venue of the event, thus preventing the Attah supporters'
convoy from proceeding to Oron. The report said that the
youths carrying some banners and placards that read “Oro
youths say no to Obong Attah and Udoedehe” threatened the
convoy with dangerous weapons, insisting that if they fail
to turn back, hell would let loose on them.
Weekly Insight investigation revealed that over 3000
supporters of Obong Attah were prevented from attending the
burial event. When our reporter visited the Shelter Afrique
residence of the ex-governor at about 12:34PM on hearing
news the place was filled with people, some clustering in
small groups discussing the situation. They lamented the
ordeal they passed through in the hands of the thugs,
condemning it regretted that it was a prelude to what the
elections of 2011 was going to look like.
They accused the state governor of using the burial of a
statesman who had served the state dutifully to play
politics. A former House of Assembly member in the state in
Obong Attah's administration from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial
District who was in the returned Attah's entourage, who
spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity, condemned
the incident, describing it as unfortunate, noting that the
state governor was unfair to his predecessor.
The former law-maker said that the incident was well planned
as there was a detachment Aduma and heavily armed mobile
policemen at the Uya Oro junction where the blockade took
place, showing clearly the hands of the state government in
the unfortunate incident. He said the government was using
the state security apparatus to intimidate innocent and free
citizens of the state, when people are suffering under the
yolk of poor security in the state.
A top PDP chieftain and 2006 gubernatorial aspirant of the
party who would not want his name in print confirmed the
incident to Weekly Insight on phone, saying that he was
equally not allowed to pass to Oron venue of the burial
event despite all efforts he made. He condemned the act of
using burial events to test political strength, noting that
elections are not won on burial ceremonies but on the
polling units.
A former Special Adviser to Obong Attah who was among the
organizers and mobilizers who refused to be mentioned in the
papers confirmed the incident, adding that he escaped
narrowly from being assaulted by the “hired thugs”, noting
that “a top official in Akpabio's government pointed at me
to the thugs as one of the targets, but before they could
get to me, I had already reversed my car, so I drove off.”
An eye witness who gave his name as Mr. Collins Jackson in
Mbo Local Government Area also confirmed the incident to
Weekly Insight.
It would be recalled that Weekend Insight had predicted in
its last Friday edition that the meeting of the duo of
Governor Akpabio and ex-governor Attah may yield some
positive or negative effect owing to recent political
development in the state.
Meanwhile, the state commissioner for information, Mr.
Aniekan Umanah, has said that the reports were not true,
noting that nobody was prevented from attending the burial.
He said that Obong Victor Attah himself did not attend the
burial. Mr. Umana noted that it was not logical to have
supporters without the principal being there.
“Obong Attah did not attend the burial, so, how then was he
stopped. How can there be supporters without the principal
being there? The event went well before public glare. The
stadium was opened etc. Could the massive turn out of
mourners and Akpabio's supporters at Oron stadium be what
you mean?” commissioner queried.
He told Weekly Insight to carry out a thorough investigation
to ascertain whether the people that were “blocked if it was
true” were not political thugs who may be hired to foment
trouble at the burial event.
On the alleged meeting held few days to the burial at the 5
star hotel by top government officials, he said, the meeting
was a meeting of the burial committee, saying that the
committee has the right to hold its meeting at anytime
anywhere.
On the rumour that Engr. Larry Esin was not allowed to
attend the event, Mr. Umana said that it was not true,
stressing that Esin was at the burial event and that Esin
took photographs with Governor Akpabio at the event, adding
that the event was free for all.
He noted that the national headquarters of the party was
duly represented at the event in the person of Prince
Chibudom Nwuche who represented the national Publicity
Secretary of the party. He further revealed that Governor
Akpabio promised to immortalize the first PDP state chairman
from the area, Chief Joe Ating, with the sum of ten million
naira, while pledging to sponsor the children of Chief Tony
Emenyi to the university level.
Asked whether the state governor was truly embarrassed in
Ibesikpo Asutan LGA during the burial of Oku Ibom II and the
former Paramount Ruler of the area, Usonyin Okon Ekpo Ekpo,
by the inclusion of senator John James Akpanudoedehe's
condolence message in the burial programme, which Udoedehe
signed as governor 2011,the commissioner said that the
tenure of the present government of chief Godswill Obot
Akpabio will expires in May 29, 2011, adding that till then
Akpabio remains the governor of the Akwa Ibom state, noting
that it may be the printers devil for udoedehe to have
signed the said programme as the “governor 2011” and not
“for governor 2011”. He stressed that the udoedehe he knew
would not have written and signed the said programme.
On the opening of senator udoedehe's campaign office in Uyo
last week Tuesday, which led to heavy traffic hold up in the
state capital, he said, the senator was a free citizen of
the state who has the right like every other person to
aspire to occupy any office in the country within the
confines of the law of the land.
On the reports credited to governor Akpabio at the burial
that he had used the state machineries to stop some failed
politicians in the state who wanted to use late chief
Emenyi's burial to launch themselves back to the state from
attending the burial, Mr. Umana dismissed it as false,
saying that the state governor did not make such statement.
He added that such falsehood are being orchestrated by
people who want to use every means to take power from the
present administration, noting that the recorded tapes of
the governor's speech was there for any body to cross check
what the governor said.
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