Okon Osung, Etienam, Robinson Uwak restates commitment to service

L-R: Barr. Bassey Etienam with wife, Rt Hon. Okon Tom Osung and Hon. Robinson Uwak at the Church function

* Urueoffong Oruko council boss gets loudest ovation.

Chairman of Urueoffong Oruko Local Government Area, Rt. Hon Okon Tom Osung , member representing Urueoffong at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Barr Bassey Etienam and the member representing Oron Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Hon Robinson Uwak last Sunday were hosted at The Apostolic Church Oruko by the Urueoffong OrukoPeoples Alliance.

The event which attracted political stalwarts, clergies, the leadership and followership of the area and that of Oro extraction was the best of its kind as the politicians used the opportunity to reiterate their love for God and their determination to serve the people with all their hearts.

AKHA crisis escalates As Anti Ikon Members shun siting

                 Rt. Hon. Sam Ikon                Obong Paul Ekpo, can he tame the rising tide against Ikon?

                                                               Hon. Bassey Etienam leading lawmakers against Ikon?

 * Speaker conduct plenary with 8 members’ holds secret talk with PDP

What started as a crisis of confidence in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has taken a different dimension as members refused to attend house plenary leaving the speaker, Elder Samuel Ikon helpless and embarrassed last Tuesday before visiting Ugandans.

Although the speaker has always denied that there is no crises in the State House of Assembly, it became apparently clear last Tuesday when almost all the members of the House exception of Onofiok Luke and Ekaette Ebong Okon who were out of the state were all present at the executive session which lasted for some hours, but after the executive session most members instead of moving to the chambers for plenary, headed to their offices and from there move to their individual cars and went home without attending the sitting for the day. 

To serve his face from the imminent embarrassment due to the visiting legislators who came from Uganda to visit the state Assembly, the speaker, Sam Ikon was compelled to conduct last Tuesday sitting with just 7 members including himself to make  it 8.

Pay your dues! Paul Ekpo tells PDP appointees * Hails Prince Akpabio

The state Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Mr. Paul Ekpo has charged elected officers and appointees of the party to pay their outstanding dues. The charge was made recently at Essien Udim party secretariat during the conferment of the award of PDP man of the Year on Prince Ukpong Akpabio.

The State Party Chairman noted that the reason for the presentation of the award was because of the recipient’s benevolence to the party and people of his environment as well. He also stated that though, presentation of award is not in consonant with the party’s norms; award as such can and will be given to those who the party sees and deem fit as a show of their appreciation and encouragement of good deeds. 

He also commended Prince Ukpong Akpabio for his philanthropic deeds and urged others to borrow a feather from him.
He harped on the need for the offset of party dues after presenting the award; admonishing that the fees were needed to put certain structures in order especially as the election time draws closer. 

Present at the occasion were: the State Governor, Represented by the state Secretary, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Chairman, ALGON, Hon. Nse Ntuen, member representing Essien Udim in the House of Assembly, Hon. Emmanuel Akpan, Sir. Emem Akpabio, Chief Afangideh and others. 

Prince Ukpong Akpabio in his response thanked the people of Essien Udim for the support given him and for finding him fit for the award of the PDP man of the year 2013. He also thanked the Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio for making him who he is. He stated that the award will spur him to work more committedly to the service of his people. He charged fellow politicians to follow the steps of the Governor who he said has shown the way through his transformation agenda.  He dedicated the award to the state Governor and his wife who he said has been a mother to him. 

In his speech, the state Governor, who spoke through the state Secretary, Mr. Udom Emmanuel thanked the people for their love and cooperation in the party as well as the support given to him. He also charged the people to follow his leadership while promising that his administration would deliver more dividends of democracy to them.

Ekong Sampson honoured in Mkpat Enin

 

Banner urging Ekong Sampson to run for House of Representatives

The member representing Mkpat Enin state constituency at the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Barr Ekong Sampson was over the weekend honoured with the title of Eduek ayeyin of Ukpum Minya. The ceremony took place at a secondary School at Minya clan were the clan head was also corronated.

A release by the committee said that Ekong Sampson was honoured because of his outstanding and meritorious services to the people of the clan. They described Ekong Sampson as a good grandson who has done the grandfathers and mothers great. They eulogized Ekong Sampson and promised to ensure that he gets to the zenith of his political career.

Jonathan angry with Akpabio

 

 * Meets ex Gov. Attah, explains grouse with Akwa Ibom Governor

The nation’s President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had met exclusively with Obong Attah in Abuja to discuss on matters bothering the country, the PDP and Akwa Ibom state. The meeting which was held behind closed doors was at the instance of the President who is said to have prevailed on Obong Attah not to dump the PDP which he helped to birthed as a founding father. The President is said to have also sought the support of Obong Attah in his leadership of the country and his future political moves.

Sources say Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had to institute the meeting with the ex Akwa Ibom Governor with the wake of the recent and massive decampment of politicians from the party and also with the information that the opposition party, All Progressives Congress (APC), were putting Obong Attah under pressure to dump the Umbrella party for them. Although those who are close to Attah said the former Akwa Ibom Governor was not considering joining the APC, political pundits in the corridors of Aso Rock Villa explained to our reporter in Abuja that the President of the country is not leaving anything to chance in his quest to unite every member of the party.

Ikot Abasi Elders reaffirms Ekere’s endorsement - Warn against campaign of calumny against ex-Deputy Gov

Elders of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area have weekend affirmed the earlier endorsement of Obong Nsima Ekere governorship ambition by the founding fathers of the PDP in Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency.

The affirmation is sequel to some advertorials in local newspapers claiming that the Ikot Abasi stakeholders have rejected Ekere’s quest of becoming the next governor of the state in 2015.

The elders made the assertion in an advertorial, stating that; “That we and indeed the good people of Ikot Abasi are not against the adoption of Obong Nsima Ekere by the founding fathers of the PDP in Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency as their preferred governorship candidate because it is within their legitimate rights.”

I have not anointed anybody for 2015 —Valerie Ebe

 

The state Deputy Governor, Noble lady Valerie Ebe says she has not anointed or adopted anybody for any of the elective positions come 2015 as insinuated in some quarters.

THE INK gathered from the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Ikemesit Smith yesterday that Lady Valerie Ebe has not adopted nor sponsored anyone to contest any election whatsoever. He maintained that anyone who says the Deputy Governor, Lady Valerie Ebe has told him or her to run an election especially with regards to 2015 is not being fair.

THE INK GIRL:Comfort Ejukwa

Name:       Comfort Ejukwa

Phone:       07033172586

Akpabio did not supervise assault on me - Onofiok Luke

Chairman of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly committee on Finance and appropriation and member representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency Hon. Onofiok Akpan Luke has broken the ice on his recent harassment by Mr. Nse Ntuen and Emmanuel Ekon with a position that Governor Godswill Akpabio never supervised the attack by his assailants 

Onofiok Luke in a press statement titled that lies may fade and truth remain, said; “I must state here, now and for the records that the governor did not supervise any of the act that was done against me, infact the Governor on immediately being informed of the incidence by the state chairman of the PDP Obong Paul Ekpo, intervened and summoned a peace meeting at the country home of the Honourable commissioner for special duties, Barr Emmanuel Enoidem where he caused the persons involve to apologize to me.

How the info boss tricked Iwok

In a near related development, major stake holders of Abak 5 have vowed to punctuate Aniekan Umanah’s House of Representatives ambition due to what they described as Aniekan Umanah’s uselessness to the division. One of the PDP stalwarts from Abak Local Government Area while acknowledging that the Area is seriously polarized however had submitted that Aniekan Umanah should forget about vying the House of Representatives position for Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency.

Our source observed that the Information Commissioner is yet to prove beyond reasonable doubts that his ambition to the National Assembly is people-driven.

Youths of Abak Local Government Area, the paper learnt are waiting for Aniekan Umanah to officially declare his intention to contest the House of Representatives position so that they can use the opportunity to revenge Umanah whom they described as inconsistent and unreliable.
In a statement of position signed by Abraham Isonguyo and Cletus Ubong, Convener and Secretary of Abak federal constituency Youth Movement, the group condemned what they described as Aniekan Umanah’s greed in Abak. The youths of the area are particularly angry with the Information Commissioner due to what they allege as Aniekan Umanah’s short-changing them for his selfish interest.