Governor Godswill Akpabio and his ex SSG Obong Umana Umana at different meetings recently with Ibibio Elders Forum had rained abuses on each other calling themselves names and describing each others with uncomplimentary remarks. It was learnt last week. And their media fight appears not to be coming to an end soonest.
The sacked UmanaUmana had while reporting Akpabio to the leadership of Ibibio Elders Forum where Dr. Okon AkpanUko and Dr Emmanuel Akpanobong preside as Chairman and secretary respectively is alleged to have described Akpabio as a dishonest person, unreliable and an agreement breaker.
The Ex SSG while explaining his predicament and position to the Elders is said to have told a section of the officers of the forum that he did not have to resign despite his official declaration of intent to contest the 2015 governorship election because there was a written agreement between himself and the Governor GodswillAkpabio. Our source said the Ex SSG did not however state the nature of the agreement.
While lamenting his treatment which he described as embarrassing and humiliating, ObongUmanaUmana is said to have argued that the Governor should have shown him some respect and should not have encouraged his wife, Unoma Akpabio to lock him out of his office. He is said to have described Akpabio as an ethnic jingoist who is out to propel the interest of the Annangs against that of other tribes.
A very reliable source quite close to the leadership of the Elders Forum informed the newspaper that some Elders in the forum had queried ObongUmana why he earlier on joined Akpabio whom he is now describing with uncomplimentary remarks to allegedly fight the Ibibios and pulled them down? But Umana our source said did not have any cogent response. Our source speaking on condition of anonymity informed THE INK that DrUko was more outspoken as he is said to have asked Umana why he did not resign when he discovered that Akpabio as he claims was a dishonest person and unreliable. Umana is said to have responded that he did not have to resign because himself and Akpabio had a written agreement.
Our source said Umana was not forthcoming on whether the agreement was for Akpabio to handover to him or was for him to be supported by the Governor to emerge by 2015. Reliable sources say some of the Elders were not happy with Umana especially as he has been linked to the many sufferings the Ibibios were exposed to in the hands of the present administration. Umana is said to have attempted to bribe the Elders to give him full backing by overlooking whatever error he has committed against the Ibibios and other innocent victims of the present administration by openly condemning the action of the Governor and that of the wife on the fate of his sack.
The Elders are said to have given a consideration into issuing a communiqué and that the communiqué was to be published in some state based tabloids and some national dailies. And it was to have taken the Governor by surprise.
But the information is said to have leaked and the Governor invited the Elders for a meeting at the Governor’s lodge. Government House sources informed the newspaper that during the meeting between the Governor and the leadership of the forum, the state Chief Executive is said to have taken quality time to explain in details to the Elders why he had to boot Umana out. One source told the newspaper that Akpabio had told the Elders that he had actually wanted to hand over to Obong Umana but that events of the preceding days have made him come to realize that his ex SSG was unfit to succeed him due to the manner he was conducting himself especially during his absence.
Governor Akpabio is alleged to have explained to the Elders that UmanaUmana was always undermining him and that when the Ex SSG declared, he had invited him over for a brief discussion were he told the Ex SSG that he should resign citing relevant sections of the constitution that does not permit his actions. Akpabio is said to have told the Elders that he had categorically told Umana to resign since he has declared stressing that he had advised the sacked SSG that he cannot declare for the 2015 guber race and still remain in his Exco as that will set the Exco members against him and will lead to him incurring the wrath of the President Goodluck Jonathan but that the ex SSG ignored him. Akpabio is said to have maintained that he has no regret sacking Umana the way he did.
Sources who were privy to the meeting informed our reporter that the Governor had explained in details to the Elders that he is not an ethnic jingoist and will never be. Governor Akpabio is said to have informed the Ibibio Elders that he sees every part of the state as one and will not for whatever reason seek to enthrone ethnicity into the state. Akpabio is alleged to have told the Elders that the UOU supporters are only playing the ethnic card to attract self pity after the deeds of the ex SSG saw him being swept off from the state Exco.
It was learnt further by our reporter that the meeting between Akpabio and the Elders was a long one with the Chairman of the forum Dr. Akpan Uko asking very vital and intelligent questions that saw Akpabio giving responses upon responses. A source from the office of the Governor however informed also that the meeting was rescheduled for this week and may likely hold this weekend when the Governor must have returned from overseas.
The Elders are said to have advised both Akpabio and Umana to take things easy as their utterances and those of their aides will be putting the state into unnecessary political heat.
But Defiant and sacked secretary to state government Obong Umana Umana is hell bent on extracting his own pound of flesh from the first family of AkwaIbom State if indications emerging from UOU camp is to be relied upon.
It could be recalled that Obong Umana entered history books as the first secretary to the Akwa Ibom State government that has been sacked unceremoniously. The technocrat who was booted out of office following the frosty relationship that ensued between Akpabio and himself is determined to ensure that he takes vengeance on what a member of his camp described as Akpabio granting permission to his wife (Unoma) to humiliate the ex-finance commissioner.
To this end, the ex-SSG is alleged to have sought to meet with some very powerful opposition elements within and some who are not in the state to join forces in fighting the governor and his wife. It was gathered that the former commissioner for finance in ObongAttah’s administration had directed that his close aides within and outside the state should identify some opposition of like minds who are willing to fight Akpabio and his policies to a standstill.
The plot our reporter learnt is to sponsor some high profile campaigns aimed at putting the governor and his wife in a les advantaged position. While the campaigners will be going on with the job, our source said Umana will be at the background sponsoring the attack. But the spokesman to ObongUmananUmana, IboroOtongaran in a response to a text message from THE INK denied the allegations of the ex SSG attempting to sponsor a fight against the Governor GodswillAkpabio. Iboro Otongaran said in his sms, ‘Not true. This is another fabu.’
But it was learnt last week that Umana has also sought to reach out to some Northern and Western elements that are not very happy with the governor in a bid to fighting the governor and whoever will represent the governor Akpabio’s interest in the 2015 succession plans.
A very strong oppo sition member who has been critical of the present administration informed THE INK last week from Abuja that Umana’s team has been making efforts to reach out and he will soon join issues with them. A voice from the Diaspora informed that the ex SSG may likely meet with him when he visits America and that parts of the discussions will be to see how they can align forces to recapture AkwaIbom from Akpabio’s enclave. A section of the opposition while explaining their readiness to join Umana in the fight said the ex SSG will have to cough out information otherwise he remains on his own. A source said he is even aware the ex SSG has dazzled over fifty million naira to an institution in the ongoing war of words between him and Governor Akpabio. They however explained separately that their joining in the fight against Akpabio is not to make Umana the Governor by 2015.
One of them said, “boy, I am happy ObongUmanaUmana is out of Government, he used to describe us as touts, liars and people who see nothing good in Akpabio, he used to describe us as haters of developments and ethnic champions, today, I thank God he is coming out to see what we have been seeing. If he actually wants us to join his fight against the Governor like his aide (names with held by THE INK) told us, then he must be ready because it is not easy, afterall we are aware of how much he has spent so far on an institution (name with held by THE INK) to fight his battle”.
It was learnt also that upon the sudden termination of the appointment of Umana and the role played by the first lady Unoma Akpabio, the ex-SSG is said to have launched a firsthand attack on the governor Godswill Akpabio by reporting the matter to some Ibibio elders under the Ibibio Elders Forum. A source said Umana had opened up to the elders that what pains him most in the manner he was sacked was the role that was played by a “common woman” referring to the first lady, the governor’s wife, Unoma Akpabio.
ObongUmana is said to have listed Akpabio’s sins to include fighting the Ibibios and attempting to handover to an Oro or Obolo man by 2015. Upon listening to the story of the sacked SSG which our source described as pathetic, the elders are said to have issued a communiqué on their position in the matter. But the hard copy of the communiqué is said to have leaked and that led to Ntisong Essien Ekidem’s intervention and the governor’s attention was drawn to it before the communiqué was halted by the elders. How the communiqué got leaked was however not ascertained as at press time.
A very reliable source informed THE INK that some Elders had met with the governor where the state chief executive on his own is said to have explained his anger with Umana to include the ex-SSG undermining the governor, failing to separate the Akpabio as a commissioner and the Akpabio as a governor. Our source maintained that Governor Akpabio had even brought out the declaration speech of ObongUmanaUmana and presented it to the Elders and maintained that with such attitude from Umana, he was unfit to remain in the Exco. The state Governor is said to have denied ethnicity game in the sacking of Umana and have stressed that he is not at war with the Ibibios.
GodswillAkpabio is alleged to have told the Ibibio Elders that he had considered to use his Executive fiat to hand over to Umana but going by the way Umana was conducting himself, he had realized that Umana is unfit to succeed him.
Meanwhile, a strong member of UmanaUmana’s camp had informed that the ex-SSG is not happy with the governor and the wife for the disgraceful manner in which they chose to relieve him of his duty. He maintained that the governor and his wife went too far.
While pleading not to be named, our source added that “Akpabio and his wife have touched the tail of a wounded tiger and they should be ready to pay for it”.
Our source informed our newsdesk that Obong Umana Umana had last week traveled abroad to meet Akwa Ibomites in the Diaspora to seek for partnership in the war he will soon be waging against Akpabio. Our source said “da se Governor Ado ayem, ayakid, mmiaatta”.
No comments:
Post a Comment