* Nduese Essien, Gen. Etukudoh, ors at war
Signs that all is not well among the political leaders of Eket Local Government Area has began to manifest with the likes of Gen Etukudoh, Chief Nduese Essien, Aniekan Akpan being locked in a war of supremacy on whose candidate will make the commissionership list of Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel.
THE INK can authoritatively report that the race on who becomes the commissioner from Eket Local Government Area has taken a heavy blow on the leaders of the area and have consistently put the Elders at war with each other.
Our reporter learnt that upon the declaration of Udom Emmanuel as the winner of the 2015 gubernatorial election, lobbyists have mounted series of pressures on Udom Emmanuel and his very close aides with a view of being made a commissioner in the next administration. It was gathered that series of pressures mounted on Nduese Essien to call a meeting of the political stakeholders of the area where it was expected that the avenue will be used to officially congratulate Udom on his victory and the position of Eket made known to the Governor was rebuffed by Nduese Essien.
Sources hinted our reporters that the former minister for Lands had been working very hard behind closed doors to ensure that he nominates his son Essien Nduese Essien secretly to the Governor Mr. Udom Emmanuel for confirmation as a commissioner.
Reliable sources hinted our reporter that Nduese Essien had always informed the people that it was too early in the day to discuss appointment matters with Udom who was then a Governor-Elect. But sources close to the two term House of Representatives member while speaking to our reporter on condition of anonymity said, the Ikot Ibiok Born Elder statesman was working behind closed doors to get the commissionership for his son, Essien.
Our reporter who have been monitoring the situation informed THE INK newsdesk that Nduese Essien is not the only person working behind closed doors to get the commissionership for his son. Amongst those working to either get the position for themselves or their cronies are, Mr. Aniekan Akpan the Eket council Chairman who is said to be working round the clock to win the Governor’s sympathy and get the nod. A retired General in the area Etukudoh is said to also be in the forefront on the race to get the slot of the commissionership.
THE INK understands that sometime last month during the burial of the father of Barr Uwemedimo Nwoko, the Attorney General of the state, that Gen Etukudoh, rtd was caught submitting some names to Mr. Ephraim Inyang, the founder of Transformation Initiative for the Empowerment of Ibom People. Mr. Inyang is a very close aide to Udom Emmanuel who has been earmarked to emerge as the Chief of Staff to the Governor.
Some very responsible Eket Elders who spoke to our reporter said, Gen Etukudoh had went to Ephraim Inyang and after the two had an ear to ear discussion, he delivered the document believed to be the name of Gen Etukudoh’s cousin, Mr. Victor Edon, Anthony Etukudoh Jnr his son, Ethel Inim, the Council Secretary and one Uwem, the General’s nephew from OKON to Ephraim Inyang. The duo were said to have shook hands after also exchanging smiles.
This development, sources say had sparked off protest among the ranks and files of Eket Local Government Area. The stakeholders of Eket Project are said to have bombarded Nduese Essien’s phones with calls threatening that he will cease to be the Political leader of the Area if he fails to call a meeting to address the commissionership stuff that is tearing the Local Government apart.
To this end, Nduese Essien is said to have called a meeting of select stakeholders from the local Government Area about Wednesday last week. THE INK correspondent learnt that the said meeting held at Chief Nduese Essien’s Ntaisip residence in Ikot Ibiok village in the early hours of that day. A source who attended the meeting informed that about thirty people were in attendance although some people excused themselves after deliberations have reached advanced stage and some arrived late.
The meeting which had twenty persons each from the three geo political zones of OKON, Central and Urban in Eket LGA is said to have ended in fiasco as no concrete decision was arrived at on the choice of who to become the commissioner from Eket.
An Elder states man who attended the meeting hinted our reporter that trouble started when Chief Nduese Essien moved to nominate his son Essien Nduese Essien as a commissioner and pleaded that he be supported. The Elder Essien’s plea, sources say was because he had so suffered in Eket politics and will like the confirmation of his son as a commissioner as a compensation.
THE INK reporter who undercovered the meeting reports that attendees at the meeting did not even allow Nduese Essien to land with his speech when he was shouted down. Some people are even said to have described Essien as an incomplete leader who is always seeking for favours from himself alone. When the meeting managed to regain normalcy, Gen Etukudoh, is said to have nominated his nephew Victor Edon.
Again that nomination did not scale through as pandemonium broke out with abusive words freely being used on persons at the meeting. Another person whose name is said to have been mentioned in the matter is a certain Inyang Eshiet who hails from OKON but again, it failed flat. Another person who indicated interest in the commissionership was the proprietor of Heritage Polytechnic Mr. Emmanuel Ekott. The name of Ekott also received a similar booing as parties in the meeting failed to agree to a particular position leading to the emergence of different factions within the almost thirty men meeting of that day.
When the outcome of the meeting spilled to other members of the society, youths and opinion leaders from Eket LGA frowned at the insistence of the Elders to produce their family members and cronies wondering what the likes of Chief Nduese Essien, Gen Etukudoh and others will gain by stuffing the pockets of their cronies and family members at the detriment of the collective will of the people of Eket LGA.
In a chat with our reporter, Eket youths also sent words to Ephraim Inyang advising him on whom to deal with in matters relating to the politics of the LGA. The youths said, while they do not have any problems with whoever the Governor chooses as a commissioner from the area, that they are of the opinion that the matter should not be an Elders affair alone. They decried what they described as the Elders insensitivity to the plight of the youths and the deplorable condition of the Local Government Area. They advised the Elders whom they noted as being greedy to stay away from attempting to impose their children on the Governor and the LGA as a commissioner from Eket.
Another group in Eket comprising the women, youths and Elders wondered why the Elders are trying to be smarter in their dealings. This group known as Eket Frontiers said, with the way matters pertaining to who emerges a commissioner from Eket that it is obvious those who supported Udom right from the beginning will lose out.
They maintained that somebody like Chief Nduese Essien was not comfortable with Udom’s ambition as according to them, the former minister was always against the then SSG’s interest. They also accused Gen Etukudoh of trying to be smart when he was always in support of Senator Esuene before he betrayed the Labour Party candidate for PDP when the nominations were won and lost. On Aniekan Akpan, they maintained that Aniekan Akpan was evasive and that it is unfortunate that the same crop of people that never wanted Udom to be Governor are the same people that are running today from pillar to post in search of a commissionership position for either themselves or their family members.
When contacted, Ephraim Inyang denied knowledge. He expressed shock and said he knows not Victor Edon. In his reply to our reporter’s sms, the Transformation Initiative man said in a text message, “I am shocked by this story. I don’t even know this Edon Victor.”
Aniekan Akpan, Nduese Essien and General Etukudo failed to comment as at press time. They could not be reached for comments as their numbers were not going through.
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