Following a stalemate in the just conducted election into the executive committee of its youth body, the Oko Ita village council has inaugurated a seven-man caretaker committee headed by Sunday Udo Akpan to run the affairs of the Oko-Ita youth development association pending the successful conduct of an acceptable election. In a statement dated 17th March, 2014, the election committee chairman, Mr. Joe Attai alleged that the election venue was infiltrated by suspected cultists and touts sponsored by a few misguided persons to disrupt the smooth and peaceful conduct of the election. Other members of the committee included, Joe Attai, Utibe Udo, and Anietimfon Edem.
The election committee chairman accordingly declared the election inconclusive, saying that the caretaker committee will run the affairs of the association until normalcy returns to the village.
The statement in parts, “The election started on good note but ended in fiasco, hence the postponement”, Attai said, “We are aware that the infiltration of the election venue by touts and cultist was masterminded by external forces that took interest in a particular candidate”.
The election committee chairman further mentioned that after considering a petition signed by ward ten youth leaders on the conduct of some contestants in the said election, the twosome, Nse Effiong Etok and Umoh Edo Umoh were disqualified from, “further contesting any reschedule election due to the bahaviour of their supporters and popular demands”. He maintained that their disqualification will “bring peace and harmony to the village rather than allow a chaos situation to happen”.
The statement also alleged that one of them, Mr. Umoh Edo Umoh was indebted to the association to the tune of N65, and 000 which was yet to be refunded. The election committee urged the divisional police officer, DPO, and other security agencies in the area to be on alert for perpetrators of the criminal act.
On the purported inauguration of a new executive council for the youth association, the election committee chairman, Mr. Joe Attai declared the said inauguration as null and void, and called on the public, the state and local governments to disregard the illegal act. He added that any person(s) transacting any business of the association with the so called new youth exco led by Umo Edo Umo were doing so at their own risk. Attai further directed persons in position of the association’s property to return them to the caretaker committee without further delay.
He called on the youths in the community to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding, promising that efforts were ongoing to settle the impasse within a reasonable time, the election committee chairman promised to explore all means that will bring aggrieved parties to the negotiation table.
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