NKEREUWEM EKANEM SELECTED POLITICAL LEADER OF UBIUM SOUTH

NKEREUWEM EKANEM SELECTED POLITICAL LEADER OF UBIUM SOUTH 

Major Political Stakeholders in Ubium South on Wednesday April 5, 2018 selected Engr. Nkereuwem Ekanem as their Political Leader. In a well attended ceremony at the instance of the Hon. Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Arc. Ime Ekpo, the stakeholders annulled the charade of Saturday March 31, 2018 which purportedly declared Obong Essien Esema as the Political Leader of the area. 

It would be recalled that Obong Essien Esema had late last month invited people to his family compound for Easter merriment through a text message that read as follows “On behalf of my family, I wish you a very happy Easter that is filled with plenty of love and happiness. **please join me in an Easter merriment on Saturday morning 31st March, 2018: Venue: Esema Compound, Eket-Oron Road, Akai Ubium, Nsit Ubium L.G.A. Happy Easter. ObongUnwana Essien Esema” However, it turned to be an occasion where he presented himself as the Political Leader of Ubium South.

Irked by that development, political stakeholders in Ubium South, including all serving and past political office holders from the zone, PDP Chapter Chairman for Nsit Ubium and other Chapter Officers from the area, all Ward Chairmen and their executive committee members, Councilors representing the three Wards and other political heavyweights from Ubium South, came together to void the self-selection of Obong Essien Esema.

In doing so, the Stakeholders recalled that some time last year the body had selected Engr. Nkereuwem Ekanem to be the Political Leader of the area and wondered why even those at that meeting could form part of the charade of Saturday March 31.

The body noted that the online publication of that ill-fated event is replete with inadequacies first of which is that the exercise did not hold on March 30 but on March 31 which was a Saturday. Other falsehoods as pointed out by the Stakeholders are that “all former and current elected and appointed political office holders of Ubium South extraction” were at the event and that five persons were nominated for the position. The leadership of Ubium South observed that nothing could be farther from the truth declaring that because of the assemblage of falsehood in that report, people should not venture to take such a person or group of people seriously.  

The body said that for a person or group of persons to insinuate that the PDP came into existence in 1995 is froth with inadequacy and a person who seems not to know when his father was appointed Commissioner in the then South Eastern State cannot and should not be taken seriously. The Stakeholders recalled that Chief J. D. Esema was appointed Commissioner into the then South Eastern State government in 1973 as against 1970 as reported in the story. 

After contributions from representative of the three Wards of Ubium South, the Honourable Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Arc. Ime Ekpo, called for nomination of who would be selected as the Political Leader of Ubium South. 

In response, Obong Emah Bassey moved a motion calling for the revalidation of the selection of Engr. Nkereuwem Ekanem as the Political Leader of Ubium South which as the decision taken last year. The motion was seconded by Mr. Abel Akpan. With no other nominations, the motion was put to a voice vote and the ayes had it.

In his acceptance speech, Engr. Nkereuwem Ekanem who is a former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government commended the people of Ubium South for having confidence in him and promised to represent the political interest of the people of Ubium South at all times. He said that since he did not nominate himself and that the people of Ubium South nominated him and went ahead to select him, they should at all time stand by him and give him the needed support and cooperation.

Those in attendance at the ceremony included; the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Arc. Ime Ekpo, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Otuekong  Emmanuel Ibiok, the chapter chairman of the PDP for Nsit Ubium, Elder Aniefiok Johnny, the former Secretary to the State Government, Engr. Nkereuwem Ekanem, Etim Arthur Obiofia and Chief Inyang J. J. Eno.

Others were all the three ward chairmen from Ubium South and members of their executive committee, all PDP chapter officers from Ubium South, all councillors from Ubium South, Barr. Uwem Ibiok, Mr. Uwem Ekpo, Emmanuel King, Ntiense (STOCKET), Abel William, Ezekiel Isang amongst others.