AKHA Splits *Anti Ikon lawmakers intensify plot to oust Speaker

*Lists Ikon's impeachable offences
*Position Ibiono Ibom member as replacement
*The Governor will fight for us, says aide

 

The cosmetic love and romance between the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Speaker, Elder Sam Ikon and his members of the fifth House of Assembly appear to be grinding to a halt as there have been some renewed but silent agitations by some members to sack Ikon over what they described as the Speaker's unnecessary show of power. Aggrieved House members are of the Opinion that the House under Sam Ikon has failed to live up to expectations and has also not catered for her members the way it is supposed to. They argued also that the Speaker has always negotiated for his own special interest alone leaving them to be locked in the cold without also considering the interest of other lawmakers.

Although the House is presently on recess, THE INK can authoritatively report that except the intervention this time around is more competent and comprehensive without the usual promises, the tenure of Sam Ikon may grind to an unceremonious end especially as most of the members have since fallen apart with the Governor. This is because the Assemblymen bent on sacking the speaker have been meeting nicodemusly at certain locations to map out strategies on how to either humble Ikon either by sacking him or by forcing him to resign.

Meanwhile, majority of the lawmakers in the House of Assembly are of the Opinion that Ikon has failed them outright and it has come to a time where they have to lay bare their complains and they intend to do that with all amount of force and pushfulness. Members said to be leading the onslaught against Ikon are, the Leader of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Okpolupm Etteh who is angry that Ikon did not rally members behind his gubernatorial ambition even when Ikon is said to have given the Esit Eket/Ibeno representative plenty assurances of support. The decision by Ikon to back Udom Emmanuel who is even from the federal constituency of Etteh and with much lesser political credentials has so angered Etteh who initially had to allow his maturity to prevail. But as time goes on, Ikon's high handedness according to Assembly correspondents had changed Etteh's mind.

The immediate past speaker of the Assembly Hon Anietie Etuk is also one of those who is building castles of war against Ikon. Sources from the Assembly informed our reporter that Etuk is justified to fight Ikon because according to them, ever since Ikon emerged Speaker, he has been treating Anietie Etuk like a nobody and has often insulted the sensibilities of Etuk. For instance the unceremonious way in which he sacked Etuk from chairing the public accounts and in his place appointed the Ukanafun man Aniekan Akpan to chair that committee. Anietie Etuk himself acknowleged this when he spoke with THE INK newspaper sometime ago in his shelther Afrique residence. The former speaker who was reacting to insinuations by Aniekan Akpan over some alleged cases of financial imbroiglo in the committee had said that it is unfortunate the action of Ikon who feels because he is the speaker of the Assembly he can do and undo. While giving the committee under his watch a clean bill of Health, Etuk had hinted that if he speaks on that matter both the speaker and those instigating him against his person will be indicted. He said anything he did as Chairman of the Public accounts committee was to the best interest of Akwa Ibom state. Even the ethnic nationality were the speaker comes from, the Ibibio lawmakers forum has not been in terms with the speaker. The group sees Ikon as a sell out and one who should not be trusted and has as well kept a clear distance from Ikon. The leader of the forum and member representing Ini State constituency, Mr. Paul Owo has consistently informed the speaker and members of his group that Ikon is a disappointment to the Ibibio race and an enemy of the members of the Assembly. To this end, most of the members who have earlier been offended by Ikon as a result of one or two interests have joined in the operation to sack Ikon and perhaps make the 5th Assembly uncomfortable to Ikon.

Members of Nsit Ubium, Urueoffong, Oron/Udung Uko, Okobo and most others are not toeing the path of Ikon and any moment when they strike, it appears very unlikely the speaker will survive. It could be recalled that there have been some attempts on the years of service to the speaker but in all he has always survived courtesy the magnanimity of some of the members and the Governor who has always stepped in to calm aggrieved members.

Recently members of the Assembly are said to have met at a certain location with the sole aim of getting at the Speaker Sam Ikon. The poor handling of the Governor and Deputy Governors pension bill which evoked so much outrage from members of the public. Most members of the Assembly are unhappy with the Speaker because Ikon tried to stop them from expressing their views and stating their opinion as related to the matter. Rather than accommodate all views the speaker is said to have bounced opinion from Onofiok Luke but that it however took the intervention of a radical Luke who stood his grounds to drive home his point.
But the speaker speaking through one of his aides on political matters hinted our reporter in Uyo that he is aware of the plot against him but that as usual he will scale through. He boasted that Governor Godswill Akpabio is Sam Ikon's man and will forever fight Ikon's battle. While opening up on why Ikon has been betraying his colleagues in the Assembly our source said it is politics and that ten times over Ikon owes nobody apologies whatsoever. He said aggrieved lawmakers can go to hell that Ikon is not ready to please anybody. 
But there are plans by the aggrieved members to nominate the member representing Ibiono Ibom State constituency to replace Ikon when the plot to sack Ikon scales through.
But the Assemblymen onslaught is not the only weapon against Ikon.

In the Etinan front there are already are plots by some concerned stakeholders of the Local Government Area to send a very strong worded petition to the Governor, EFCC and other anti graft agencies including the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC reporting the fraudulent practices of Ikon especially as concerning a contract that was awarded for the construction of a certain part of the road that transverses Etinan Local Government Area. A competent source informed our reporter from Etinan that Ikon's sharp practices undermined the said contract. He maintained that at the appropriate time, the people of Etinan will ensure that they ask Ikon to account for not only the abandoned project but his stewardship at the House of Assembly as the Speaker. Our source continued that the people of Etinan are not impressed by the antecedents of Mr. Ikon arguing that they voted for him to come and better their lots but that unfortunately Ikon has decided to play sentiments and is today lost in the business of giving the people of Etinan State Constituency the needed representation they so desired.
           
LAWMAKERS ANGRY WITH IKON
Okpolupm Etteh, Anietie Etuk, Effefiong Antigha, Bassey Etienam, Onofiok Luke, Jerome Isangedighe, Kufre Etuk, Ekaette Ebong Okon, Paul Owo, Alice Ekpenyong, Victor Udofia, Aborh Uduyork, Nsikak Ekong, Barr Imerh Okon, Charlie Oton, Sarah Elijah, Edwin Joseph

LAWMAKERS IN SUPPORT OF IKON
Udo Kerian, Aniekan Akpan, Ekong Sampson, Ayang Akanimo Ayang, Friday Iwok, Eyakeno Etukudo Emmanuel Akpan, Gabriel Tobby