Tuesday 13 September 2016

Udom’s aide declares Akan Okon Governor

*You’re a betrayer, traders tell Idorenyin Raphael

BY EMMANUEL AKPAN
 
Governor Udom  Gabriel Emmanuel may be the authentic Governor of Akwa Ibom State but his aides and associates as well as some commissioners are bent on making him just a figure head of this administration. THE INK understands that some of the Special Assistants appointed by Deacon Udom Emmanuel are not working for the interest of the present administration; rather they are currently working for the interest of their masters who either recommended them to the governor for their appointment or banking on a promise to promote them when they eventually emerges the Governor of Akwa Ibom State after the present Chief Executive.

Investigations by this reporter reveal that the Special Assistant to the Governor on Trade and Market Matters, Mr. Idorenyin Raphael is pretending to be working and promoting the programmes of the State government when in actual sense, he is busy campaigning for the actualization of the 2023 governorship ambition of his master, the State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon.
This development, it was observed had gotten the full backing of the state Commissioner for Finance who is now being addressed as His Excellency by some other commissioners and aides of Governor Emmanuel as well as some former council Chairmen led by Obong Godwin Ekpo. Akan Okon, it was learnt has been responding to this toga with ease and irrespective of the fact that there is a sitting Governor in the state, he does not care and rebukes whoever calls him Hon. Commissioner in his constituted council of 2023 governorship. 

THE INK gathered that the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon who recommended a certain Mr. Idorenyin Raphael for appointment by Governor Udom Emmanuel as Special Assistant, did that with the intention that Idorenyin Raphael must serve the governor as a spy and also to be pretending to be working for the governor.
This Raphael is almost succeeding in this spy business and is now instead of mobilizing the market women and men for the Governor, is doing so for Akan Okon with the belief that it will translate to victory for the Finance Commissioner who has been tipped to as SSG in the looming cabinet shake-up.

This action which has been described by followers of political events in the state as Akan Okon’s mutiny against Udom openly played out early last month when the Special Assistant to the Governor on Trade and Market Matters, Mr. Idoreyin Raphael was hosted by market women as well as traders of Itam market under the umbrella of Association of Etaha Itam Market. At the said event, in the presence of his master and the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon, Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Enobong Essien, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, Mr. Raphael Edem and other top government functionaries, Idorenyin Raphael was deriving the strength from the Finance Commissioner bold enough while acknowledging government functionaries that were at the high table before his speech, acknowledged his master, Akan Okon as our ‘future governor.’

Our source who was at the event, said  when the SA to the Governor on Trade and Market Matters was given the opportunity to address the traders, he said, “With due respect to the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon, our future governor”. It was learnt that immediately the Udom’s aide made the statement, the market women who were listening to him with wrap attention, started grumbling and the atmosphere of the event which was quiet and calm, was uncontrollable for over ten minutes.

According to our source, “You need to have seen what Idorenyin Raphael did at Itam market during the event which was a reception in his houour. When he was introduced by the Master of Ceremony (MC) to speak to the traders, he stood up and said ‘with due respect to the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon, our future governor’ from that moment everybody started attacking him verbally for making such statement at a public function. Instead of acknowledging the State Governor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel who through his magnanimity appointed him as Special Assistant on Trade and Market Matters, he was busy praising Akan Okon, throughout his speech. We used to hear it as a rumour, but it played out openly today.” Our source noted. 

A development, he described as very  unfortunate for a serving SA to a governor who is doing just a little more than one year in office that is currently in power, could be campaigning for a serving Commissioner as his governor to be when elections year is still far away. He also described the incident as a sign of betrayal and disloyalty which can cause rift between Governor Udom Emmanuel and the Finance Commissioner, Mr. Akan Okon. Our source who is one of the traders at Itam market, however warned Idoreyin Raphael to stop gathering women in particular and by extension the traders in the name of familiarity visit to drum support for his master, Akan Okon. 

Another trader who spoke to this reporter hinted that Mr. Raphael has since he was appointed been pleading with them severally to start developing support for his master, the finance commissioner. “I’m just wondering why an SA to the governor is involving in this kind of mission. It is so unfortunate that the governor is not aware of what this young man has been doing in the name of SA to the governor. Since his appointment he has been persuading us to support Akan Okon for governorship come 2023 but I think it’s too early for him to campaign openly for his master now when our Governor has not even finished his first term in office. Now, telling me to support somebody is it by force?  I want to use this medium to advice our dear Governor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel to be very careful with some of his appointees because they are on a mission to betray him.”

THE INK further gathered that when it was Akan Okon’s turn to speak as the chairman on the occasion, he never warned his boy of the unfortunate act of making a public announcement of him as the Governor, rather the Finance Commissioner was happy and never commented on the incident, a development some of the traders that were present at the event described as a sign of betrayal and disloyalty to Governor Emmanuel.  The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon is said to have encouraged traders to support the present administration to enable government meet the needs of traders in the state. Okon, is also said to have noted that government of Deacon Udom Emmanuel has kept to its promise by appointing his boy, Idoreyin Raphael as SA on Trade and Market Matters and that traders stand a chance to benefit a lot from the present administration. 

Furthermore, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Iniobong Essien, when it was his turn to speak, also failed to call the boy who described Akan Okon to order. He pretended he did not hear all pointing to the fact that Iniobong Essien is in the committee that is seeking to make Akan Okon Governor at the slightest chance. 

Iniobong Essien in his speech however appreciated Governor Emmanuel for being a promise keeper and for carrying the traders along in his scheme of things.  He urged the SA to always ensure cleanliness of the market environments.  He decried a situation of illegal levy on traders, alleged to be proceeds to the Ministry of Environment, saying that the Ministry does not impose any levy on traders for waste disposal.  He sued for support to the state government to enhance effective service delivery to traders in the state. At the end of the event when Akan Okon was approaching his car, some of the traders were shouting “Our future governor” till the Finance Commissioner zoomed off.
But nemesis caught up with the SA few days later as he was disgraced at Akpan Andem market where he also gathered the traders to unfold his plans to them. While at the said event, it was learnt a stampede erupted as some traders opposed the visit when they heard of the intent. 

A trader who spoke to our reporter said, “We disrupted the event because we were told that he (Idoreyin Raphael) is going round markets in the State campaigning for his master, Akan Okon’s 2023 governorship ambition. He is a betrayer so we don’t need him. Udom should come and address us by himself because that boy called Idorenyin Raphael is not a straight forward person.” Other traders who also confided in our reporter used the medium to warn Akan Okon to call his boy to order, stressing that if Idorenyin Raphael doesn’t stop his evil works in Udom’s government, they may be left with no other option than to pass a vote of no confidence on him. 

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