2015: Aniekan Umanah in tripple trouble * Confronted by Udom Emmanuel

* House of Reps ambition suffers massive blow
* Attacked by Abak Youths
* I don’t play or believe in dirty politics, blackmail - Info Boos

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah is trapped in trouble waters as he is alleged to be embarking on campaign of blackmail against some politicians in his federal constituency.

To achieve this purpose, sources said that Mr. Umana who is a Federal House of Representative aspirant and his co-travelers had fabricated an online story that Barr Patrick Udomfang who is also aspiring to the House of Representatives had attended a meeting in Abuja. The meeting which was alleged to be at the instance of a gubernatorial aspirant, Obong Umana Okon Umana investigations revealed that the information turned out to be a story said to have been cooked up by Aniekan Umanah to embarrass Barr Udomfang.

Mr. Aniekan Umanah is said to be jittery as the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) hierarchy in the state is said to have a soft spot for Udomfang. The Think-Tank of the blackmail is said to have been carefully designed by Aniekan Umanah and his co-travelers to cause the Governor to see Barr Udomfang as aligning with the former SSG to fight the ambition of Akpabio to the senate.

Late last year a meeting was hosted by a former chairman of Abak Local Government Area, Barr Paul Ubom a neighbor to Udomfang in Midim. The meeting is said to have been planned to coincide with the burial planning committee of the mother to Udomfang which preparation for interment was in advance stage.

Some pro-government elements planted in Umana Umana’s Campaign Team are said to have planned the meeting to possibly nail Udomfang who is an immediate neighbor to Ubom. The chief of staff to Abak Local Government Chairman, Mr. Uwem Essien is said to have lost his appointment for allegedly sending bulk invitation text messages concerning the meeting targeted to rope Udomfang into the black book of the PDP. 

Sources in the federal constituency said Aniekan Umanah is not the political darling of the people as he is said to be a self-seeking person.

A PDP stakeholder from the federal constituency alleged that the numerous blackmails of Aniekan Umanah against innocent citizens of the federal constituency are well documented and that at the appropriate time, they will be played for the people of the state to watch observing also that Aniekan Umanah is running a cabal that is using the government machinery to pursue selfish interest through fabricated stories and blackmails of leading aspirants.

The source expressed shock that the same Aniekan Umanah led blackmail cabal had incited the government against Udom Ekpoudom, a retired Police Chief and PDP Chieftain who at a time was blackmailed to contest for senate on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC). The Police chief had expressed his ire on the unpleasant development during the town hall meeting at Abak Council Hall.
That is said to have attracted unwarranted diatribes against Ekpoudom. Some paid political vultures are said to have signed several advertorials lambasting the police chief.

Meanwhile, Government House sources said that the secretary to State Government, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel had confronted the Information Commissioner on the blackmail on Udomfang and several others which Aniekan Umanah are allegedly being linked with. But Aniekan Umanah is said to have allegedly denied and suggested investigation. The SSG who is said to have frowned at the Information Commissioner’s denial is noticed to have expressed lack of confidence in Mr. Aniekan Umana for his chameleonic nature as a serial blackmailer within the government.

The paper gathered that on the day the purported meeting between Patrick Udomfang and Umana Okon Umana was said to be held in Abuja, Udomfang was in company of the State Chairman of the PDP, Obong Paul Ekpo to receive Governor Akpabio at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Sources said that for the mere fact that Udomfang has been close to the state party hierarchy in recent times, that is said to have rattled the camps of other aspirants in his Federal Constituency even as many believe that the former commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is enjoying the support of Governor Akpabio who is said to have advised Mr. Aniekan Umanah to soft-pedal on his campaigns for the House of Representatives as the next government would settle him with an appointment.

The Governor is also said to be chewing with caution because of his irrepressible senatorial ambition which Abak Federal Constituency is set to grudgingly sacrifice for petty political appointments- a development that has subjected the gospel of “Zoning” to all forms of selfish interpretations.

Our reporter’s interaction with some stakeholders in Abak Federal Constituency reveals that the support to Mr. Aniekan Umanah is with a pinch of salt even as his siblings are a major cog in the wheel of his political ambition. They (Aniekan Umanah’s siblings) are said to be the middlemen “who enjoy their “cuts” from the emergency Philanthropy of Mr. Aniekan Umanah to his supporters. This is said to have irked many supporters who are likely to repeal even as nemesis is likely to take on his activities tailored to sink the political ship of other aspirants.       

Last Thursday, some irate youths of Midim waterside were said to have confronted Mr. Aniekan Umanah when he took some snap shots at the river, near his palatial residence.
Their grouse was that complaint of hunger and related plights have fallen on the deaf ears of Mr. Aniekan Umanah. One of the youths who interacted with the paper said they were settled with a paltry N5000. And maintained that Aniekan Umanah wants to use them as tissue papers to actualize his National Assembly ambition, an action he said will meet with stiff resistance from the youths.

But speaking in a phone interview Aniekan Umanah denied planting any online story against Barr. Patrick Udomfang or any other person whatsoever.  The information boss said, he does not play dirty politics and however wondered why a supposed private communication between the Secretary to State government Udom Emmanuel and Barr. Patrick Udomfang got to the public domain. He maintained that he believes in issues driven politics and campaigns and not blackmails and Character assassination. And that he can never indulge in such.

Aniekan Umanah said he is not the type of person that will speak against someone at the back and that if he cannot say something before a person, then there is no need for him to even say it at all whether at his back or through a third party. The state Government spokesman said it is his opponents that have been trying to throw dirt at him and blackmail him and that he will not bow to blackmails of his person and character assassination.