BY EMMANUEL AKPAN
Youth leaders in Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency say they have viewed with awful dismay recent events in the Federal Constituency describing it as sad. They have however called on the former federal lawmaker, Iquo Inyang to return to her matrimonial home and stop raining abuses on their outstanding sons.
This position was made known shortly after Ikono/Ini Youth Stakeholders meeting held last week at Ibiaku Ntok Okpo. In a press release signed by the Public Relations Officer of Ikono/Ini Youth Leaders Forum, Akparawa Idorenyin Isong and made available to THE INK, the youths after a careful appraisal of the situation, said the youths of the area will no longer sit-on-the fence and watch the area being colonized and the future of the area ruined to satisfy the selfish ambition of a few individuals who from history are known for championing individual interest or at most the interest of their immediate household.
The image maker said after a careful appraisal of both past and most recent events in the area, the youth leaders have agreed that they belief very strongly in the continued peaceful co-existence of the two brotherly local government area and said the youths will not sit-on-the fence and watch any individual threaten the peace and unity of the area, no matter how highly placed.
Akparawa Idorenyin Isong maintained that the youth leaders also agreed that they will neither accept nor support the current clamour for the zoning of Governorship seat to Eket Senatorial District or any other senatorial district unless the interest of Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency is clearly defined and made to form a part of the comprehensive zoning arrangement.
The public relations officer of the group said the youths of Ikono/Ini view with displeasure the current campaign of calumny being championed against the youths of Ikono/Ini alleging falsely that youths of the area are responsible for the non-construction of roads in the area by making excessive demands on contractors and disrupting construction works at site. The youths used this medium to distance it from such unsubstantiated allegations and state categorically that such insinuations are mere blatant lie whose aim is to cause diversion while the two Ibibio speaking local government areas in Annang dominated Senatorial District are constantly perpetually subjected to torture and other forms of victimization.
On the Senate seat in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, the youth leaders agreed that since the Senatorial District is yet to have a well structured zoning arrangement that guarantees the rotation of the senate seat amongst the federal constituencies in the Senatorial District, the youths call on distinguished Senator Aloysius Etok to join the race and contest for the senate seat adding that since the race is open to all constituents, they will not accept the zoning of office(s) to individual(s) for selfish gains.
According to the release, “The youth leaders frowned in totality and condemned in strong terms the bad blood, hatred and acrimony displayed towards our illustrious son, distinguished Senator Aloysius Etok, during the “staged managed, teleguided and attendance restricted Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency town hall meeting, championed by one Otu Robert Akpan”. The youth leaders said that the town hall meeting that would have served as a forum to bring to the knowledge of the Governor the problems of Ikono/Ini people was turned to an avenue for gossips, mischief and settling of political scores.
The youth leaders said Otu Robert Akpan intentionally refused to draw the attention of the Governor to the deplorable road in his home town Ebor Itu Mbonuso, that is an eye sore and a source of worry to his people. Surprisingly too, the youth leaders said Otu Robert Akpan failed to draw the attention of the governor to the dilapidated General Hospitals in Ikono and Ini Local Government Areas. The youths said instead, Otu Robert Akpan, handed a self doctored and evil book to the governor, describing the political leader of Ikono Local Government Area, Senator Aloysius Etok as an ingrate and traitor’’.
The youth leaders said, they demand an apology from Otu Robert Akpan to the political leader of Ikono, Senator Aloysius Etok and the good people of Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency for such show of shame for paltry reward.
The youth leaders said Otu Robert Akpan while trying to pull people down to seek a path into relevance in the about to end government of Chief Godswill Akpabio, should be reminded of his role in the political ambition of Obong Victor Attah’s son-in-law, Mr. Udoma Bob Ekarika, to satisfy his greed of becoming the campaign coordinator of Obong Victor Attah’s son-in-law against the interest of Chief Godswill Akpabio for selfish gains in 2007 elections. The youths finally advised Otu Robert Akpan not to seek to reap where he did not so.
To Iquo Minimah, the youths said their advice to her is to return to her matrimonial home and live a settled life. Adding that it would be an effort in futility for her to dream of winning any elections in Ikono/Ini including councillorship considering how the people chased her out of power in 2007 despite the PDP ticket she claimed to have had.
The youth leaders through the image maker of the group called on the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to provide a level playing field and conduct free and fair party primaries devoid of imposition in 2015 elections.
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