Christmas Day celebration: N33 million cash, property burnt in commissioner Inyang-Eyen’s house fire

 

Fire on Christmas evening, Sunday, razed the house of the Akwa Ibom State commissioner for works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen, allegedly destroying about N33 million cash and other expensive personal valuables, THE INK learnt Monday morning.

It was gathered that the fire started at about 7p.m. when only a few of Inyang-Eyen’s domestic staff were present.

This incident took everyone by surprise. Mr. Inyang-Eyen is said to have so many problems, such as power tussle with some members of the executive council, hanging on his neck.

It was speculated that the fire emanated from the generator house in the building.
When our correspondent got to the scene of the incident at about 8.15p.m, neighbours were seen battling to put off the fireý.

Although it was learnt that firemen from the Uyo fire service visited the scene, the inferno was ýextinguished at about 10.45p.m. Sunday night.

This reporter learnt that the cash gathered from a source close to the commissioner was leftover from the Christmas largesse he splashed on his ONNA people on December 24.

Efforts to speak with the commissioner were not successful as he declined comment, as sympathisers thronged the premises of the burned house in the highbrow Ewet housing estate.

A bystander, who identified herself as Mrs. Etim, expressed displeasure over what she described as a poor response in extinguishing the fire.
Inyang-Eyen, 51, was reappointed commissioner for works in the recently constituted Akwa Ibom State executive council.

A close confidant of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Mr. Inyang-Eyen was perceived as the de facto governor in the former executive council coordinating various government programmes, and made strenous efforts to tame the influence of commissioners who had served in former Governor Godswill Akpabio’s regime, but were reappointed by Governor Udom at the first instance.

Some commissioners, it was gathered go through him before they could see the governor. Such was the kind of influence he is said to be displaying in the executive council.