The Chairman House Committee on Information, Akwa Ibom House of Asssembly, Mr Ime Okon, has warned speculators that there was no vacancy for the position of the Speaker in the state.
Okon said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Friday.
He said that the speaker could only be elected by members if he enjoyed the support of the majority in the House.
“It is the members of Akwa Ibom House of Assembly or any other house of Assembly for that matter that elect their speaker.
“We elected Aniekan Uko on the June 8 2015 and Dec.21 of same year, we elected Mr Onofiok Luke as the speaker.
“For now there is no vacancy, Luke enjoys the confidents and trust of the members.
“It is in the mere imagination of the people that are coming out with stories, may be they feel what happen in Rivers would be replicated in Akwa Ibom.
“For here we comfortable with the current leadership of the house, “ Okon said.
Okon, who is also the member representing Ibiono Ibom state constituency stressed that nobody is elected as a speaker of house of assembly by its constituency.
He said that anybody has the right to agitate but member would decide what is good for them.
He said that the leader of Uyo constituency does not have the powers to coerce the members of the house to do anything rather than what will benefit the House.
NAN recalls that the former speaker Mr Aniekan Uko and member representing Ibesikpo Asutan whose election and three other state constituencies were annulled by the Appeal court sitting in Abuja.
“I am not coming to fight constituted elected speaker,’’ He said. It also reports that the four representatives of Etinan, Ibesikpo Asutan, Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara and Oron/Udung Uko, that contested the re-run election on March 12 was won by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Meanwhile, in an interaction with newsmen shortly after casting his vote at Ibesikpo ward 1, Unit 10 on Saturday, Uko said he enjoyed support and cooperation of all as a Speaker and pledged to do same to the incumbent Speaker, Onofiok Luke whom he considered a brother, friend and colleague.
“Why would I fight the Speaker? Nobody fought me as a speaker. There are processes on how the Speaker emerges. The speaker is not owing me, he is my colleague, brother and friend”.
He said There is no basis for comparison in the first instance, on when Aniekan Uko’s election was annulled, there was a vacancy and we needed to have a speaker for the activities of the house to continue, we elected luke and for now there is no vacancy because Onofiok is on seat, and he enjoys our confidence. I have told you earlier that members of the house that elect speaker of the house, the members chose who they want to be their speaker and members of the 6th of assembly as at today want Onofiok Luke as the speaker of the assembly.
Am not even aware of the agitation of the speakership position, as far as the house is concern we never discuss that and there is no basic to discuss that. We also realize that three offices were vacant, speaker, deputy speaker, and deputy leader of the house.
Those offices were filled up, to the best of our knowledge our part had zone speakership to Uyo senatorial district, and whoever is found worthy from Uyo senatorial district can be the speaker.
We have four vacancy at the moment, Obot Akara, Ibesikpo Asutan, Etinan, Oron/Udung Uko and luckily these four members had won the rerun to come to the house once they are given the certificate of returns by INEC and they will be sworn in by the speaker of the
In an interaction with journalists shortly after casting his vote at Ibesikpo ward 1, Unit 10 on Saturday, Uko said he enjoyed support and cooperation of all as a Speaker and pledged to do same to the incumbent Speaker, Onofiok Luke whom he considered a brother, friend and colleague.
“Why would I fight the Speaker? Nobody fought me as a speaker. There are processes on how the Speaker emerges. The speaker is not owing me, he is my colleague, brother and friend”. He said
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