Council Chairmen to empty LGs treasury for Udom

The last may not  have been heard  of the impending robbery that council Chairmen in the state will soon embark upon against their respective Local Government Area councils. THE INK gathered from authoritative sources that the Chairman of Essien Udim Local Government Area who is also the Leader of Association of Local Government Areas in the state Mr. Nse Ntuen has directed all council Chairmen to ensure that they finger their respective council treasuries in order to raise not less than one billion naira to the PDP candidate Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel ahead of the rescheduled elections billed for April.

THE INK reporter understands that council chairmen are doing this in order for them to secure their positions in the next administration if Udom Emmanuel emerges the Governor after Godswill Akpabio. Our reporter reports that the council Chairmen took the decision during one of their political meetings in ALGON office close to Aqua Resort Hotels in Uyo, the state capital. To this end, council Chairmen where asked to contribute not less than thirty five million naira each to make up the one billion naira target for Udom Emmanuel.
But the plot did not go down without meeting some very stiff opposition from not less than three council Chairmen. 

 

A member of the staff of ALGON informed our reporter that the chairmen of Uyo Ekerette Ekpenyong, that of Eastern Obolo Francis Charles Uduyork and that of Ika Chief Saviour Enyiekere had seriously opposed the move and had cited sincere and honest reasons why their monies should not be deducted for Udom Emmanuel’s campaign. The trio are said to have mentioned to Nse Ntuen and their colleagues that the economic situation in the state is very rough and coupled with the fact that staff of LGs have not been paid, it is not only wrong but outright wickedness for them to be forced to finger their council treasury simply because they want to be seen as supporting the Governorship ambition of the PDP guber candidate Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel.

They are said to have reasoned that even Udom himself will not see their action as being patriotic but that which is backed up by sentiments, selfishness and sycophantic. Ekpenyong, Enyiekere and Uduyork are said to have informed Nse Ntuen that he will risk their anger if he makes the costly mistake of fingering their treasury as they are not in any way supporting the offer or attempt to offer a billion naira to the PDP guber candidate for campaigns. They are however said to have informed that rather than force council Chairmen to empty their local Government treasury for Udom Emmanuel, they as individuals can donate within their means to the campaign trend of the PDP guber candidate without being coerced to do so.

Meanwhile, there are fears that if the council Chairmen led by Nse Ntuen succeed in emptying the council treasury for Udom, then the incoming LG administration will have a long way to go as they will be grappling with so much debt burden that may likely be kept for them by the outgoing administration.  As at press time, the Chairman of Essien Udim Local Government Area would not comment on his action of asking council Chairman to empty their LG treasuries for Udom Emmanuel’s campaign. Nse Ntuen did not reply to a text message sent to his mobile phone number.