The Ibom Informer Newspapers

TYRANNY: EFCC DISREGARDS COURT ORDER, ASSAULTS LAWYER

Ubon Marcus | July 2, 2021.

The Uyo Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Friday July 2, 2021 allegedly assaulted a Legal Practitioner and Human Rights Advocate, Barr. Ewa Okpo aka street lawyer at their head office located along Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo.

According to the street lawyer, a Bailiff from the State High Court, Itu division, Usen Ntem, was at the EFCC office to serve an Ex Parte Motion of the Court granting bail to his client on grounds of Fundamental Human Rights.

At the EFCC office, the Court Bailiff was allegedly prevented from exercising his official duties therefore the legal practitioner as an interested party in the case had to go there personally to prevail upon them to honour the order of court and allow the rule of law prevail.

“I have been to that EFCC office over 10 times on this matter and have shown them professional courtesy so far even when my client has been detained for about 10 days as against the statutory 48 hours that the law permits. Nwandu Kalu, Esq,
of the EFCC Legal Department was the one who ordered that I be thrown out of the premises. Messers Taiwo and Gaius witnessed it,” Barr. Ewa said.

“I had to approach the court as a last resort of ensuring that my client gets fair treatment under the law and thankfully Hon. Justice Ntong F. Ntong of the High Court of Akwa Ibom State, Itu Judicial Division granted our plea”, he further stated.

“The bailiff who went to serve them the order of court was prevented from doing so; I had to intervene by going there to prevail on them to honour the court order; I was physically assaulted, harassed, pushed out of the office alongside the Bailiff and terribly embarrassed”, the lawyer lamented.

The Uyo based legal practitioner cm human rights advocate expressed worry over the fate that befalls ordinary citizens in the hands of the EFCC nowadays if a legal practitioner of his standing could be so disdainfully treated by the anti-corruption firm stating that the presupposition of the law that an accused person is deemed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law still holds water in Nigeria and law enforcement agencies are under obligation to abide by it.

He called on them to exhibit professional courtesy to legal practitioners and members of other professions in the discharge of their duties and explained that he had notified the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association of his ordeal and intends to seek redress in court.

Efforts to reach the Uyo Zonal Office Spokesperson of the EFCC proved abortive as at press time.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ON THOSE EXPECTED AT TOMORROW'S PDP SPECIAL STATE CONGRESS.

As part of efforts to ensure that only persons eligible to attend the Special State Congress of our Party slated to hold tomorrow, June 30, 2021, are found at the Nest of Champions, the Special Congress Local Organizing Committee headed by Hon. (Barr.) Emmanuel Enoidem hereby notifies party members and the public that only the following under-listed personalities and categories of Party men and women will be allowed entrance to the congress venue.

Those eligible to be admitted to the Congress by the Party Constitution are as follows:

- The Serving Governor of our State and His Deputy.

- Former Governors and Deputy Governors of our state

- Serving and Former members of the BOT of our Party

- Members of the State Executive Committee

- Serving and Former Members of the National Executive Committee and serving members of the Zonal Executive Committees from the state who are members of the Party

- Serving and Former Members of the National Assembly from the State who are members of the Party,

- Serving members of the State House of Assembly and former Principal Officers of the State House of Assembly from the State who are members of the Party

- All elected Local Government Council Chairmen and Vice Chairmen

- All elected Local Government Area Party Executive Committee members

- Three Delegates per ward elected at Ward Congresses at least one of whom shall be a woman.

- Former members of the State Working Committee

- Former Chapter Chairmen of the Party

- One physically challenged person per Local Government as nominated by the Local Government Caucus of the Party

- All Serving elected Local Government Councillors from 329 Wards.

- All serving Ward Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, Secretaries, Women and Youth Leaders at the ward level

- One National Delegate per Local Government Area elected at the Local Government Area.

We appeal to all members of the Party and Akwa Ibom people who are not listed in the categories above to follow the Congress Proceedings on the following channels:

1. Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC) Radio and TV.

2. Other Accredited Private Radio stations.

3. The Umbrella page.

All delegates to the Congress are to be seated by 9am.

The Congress will commence officially by 10am Prompt.

Take notice that all delegates to the Congress are to dress in the new uniform of the PDP.

We enjoin every delegate to cooperate with the officials in this regard.

Signed:

Rt. Hon. Okpolupm Etteh,

Secretary, Special Congress Local Organizing Committee

June 29, 2021

Buhari approves University of Technology for A'Ibom

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of two new University of Technology for Jigawa and Akwa Ibom States.

The President also approved a take-off grant of N4 billion each for the Universities of Technology from the funding resources of TETFund to ensure early take-off of the institutions.

The Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono who disclosed this on Monday in Abuja said the president approved that four existing Universities of Technology loca,ted in Yola, Akure, Owerri and Minna be upgraded and equipped.

He said, “The two new Universities of Technology will be established in 2021 while the upgrade of the existing four Universities of Technology and the National Institute of Technology will come on stream next year.”

The Permanent Secretary said the specialized Universities would lay a solid foundation for building national preparedness and resilience in anticipation of future challenges in the health sector while reducing medical tourism to countries like India, UAE, Egypt, Europe and the USA.

While noting that the presidents had promised to establish an apex National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Abuja with six Satellite Universities of Technology, one in each geo-political zone of the country, he said the objective is to stimulate rapid technological transformation of the country.

“The Institute shall be patterned after similar institutions in Singapore and Malaysia to serve essentially as a postgraduate centre devoted to research and innovation, drawing the best graduates from the six Universities of Technology, as well as other exceptional graduates from reputable universities within and outside Nigeria,” he said.

He however noted that the Federal Ministry of Education will collaborate with the Federal Ministries of Health, Science and Technology, Communications and Digital Economy, the FCT Administration as well as other relevant agencies and Institutions to facilitate speedy actualization of these Projects.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary also hinted to journalists that the president has also approved new chancellors for all universities in the country and that the details will be made available in due course.

Taking A Stand On A Successor

By Edidiong Udobia

As it is the tradition, the government and the people of Akwa Ibom State marked the May 29 anniversary which was also the 6th anniversary of the current Governor Udom Emmanuel led administration. While delivering his anniversary speech, Governor Emmanuel gave an insight into the kind of successor he does not wish to have. A part of his anniversary speech reads; “Do you want a successor who will cancel out all the great strides in industrialization we have started? The peace we currently enjoy and return us to the years when violence and kidnapping reigned and sowed fear in the hearts and minds of the people? Do you want a successor who will come with anger towards all we have done, as opposed to continuing with the great works we have started?

“Do you want a leader whose approach to testing his popularity would be to drive in a long convoy to “Ibom Plaza” and throw money at the hapless people, watching them scramble for the money and the people would say that’s “Ano owo Mkpo”! Is that the kind of a successor you want? Is that the kind of empowerment our people deserve? Someone who will bring out the worst in our youths rather than challenge them to seize the future and unleash their potentials? Do you want a successor who will relegate God to the background and assume an all-knowing power? Or do you desire a successor with a known e-mail address that the International business community recognises? Do you want a leader who will fritter away our commonwealth in search of cheap popularity or one who would utilize the resources and continue investing in projects with enduring value?

“Do you want a successor who would see Government as a cabal where our commonwealth would be shared among a privileged few or do you desire a leader who would continue to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of our people, a successor who understands the economic dynamics that shape our globalized space and would utilize those skills to advance our well-being? These are questions you have to provide answers, and the answers you provide would determine the type of a successor you deserve”.

In his wisdom and apparently, in the best interest of the state, the governor appears to be searching for a successor without blemish; one who has never conceived any evil, never done any wrong, and never spoken any bad. A successor who will be a saviour of the people like Jesus, build an ark to protect the people like Noah, and part the red sea for the people like Moses. As a firm believer of the Bible, the governor seems to believe that only a Joshua who can command the sun to stand still or an Ezekiel who can speak live into dry bones, deserves to be handed the mantle of leadership of Akwa Ibom come 2023. As a religious people, we cannot agree any less. But the governor’s intentions would make absolute sense if religion was the fulcrum, the crux and the only essence of governance.

Only weeks ago, the governor had caused a buzz when he insinuated that at the appointed time, God will reveal his successor to him. Ordinarily, every passing day would mean that the state was edging closer to the said appointed time. So the expectation of the people has been to wake up one morning to a clear and concise pronouncement by the governor. Apparently, while the state is wallowing in anticipation as we wait for the revelation, the governor has chosen to give some jaw-dropping clues on those he considers unworthy to be his successor. From the ones whose hands are too filthy to touch the mantle of leadership to those whose minds are too deceitful to bear the thoughts of becoming his successor, the governor seems to have sealed their fate in absolute finality.

In his exact words; “So my dear Akawa Ibomites, if what you are desiring is a successor who will not have the capacity and the discipline to build a State where you and your children will live in peace and strive to excel, if you are desiring a successor who will turn back the clock of our developmental strides, if you are desiring a successor who will bring out the worst in our youths as opposed to galvanizing their energies and challenging them to be the best they can be, if you are desiring a leader who would not efficiently utilize the resources of this State on projects that have redeeming value then I am sorry to disappoint you, God will not give us such a successor”.

The governor is our heavenly-ordained leader, so his word is commandment. But before I begin to forge these commandments into my heart, it necessary to ask pertinent questions like, are these ones condemned really guilty? Have they had opportunities to serve the people and they failed? Which is more superior in deciding who becomes what in 2023, is it the constitutional provision or the governor's criteria? To the best of my knowledge, nobody chose to be called “ano owo mkpo”. Rather, this name came as a referendum following the collective decision of the masses. So, will a man now be condemned simply because he found favour with his people? And most importantly, how can we be religious on the one hand, and then support the condemning of cheerful giving on the other hand? We have lived with these people for years and can testify to their genuine love for the masses and benevolence nature.

Truth is, all the attributes of a-not-to-be wanted successor listed in the governor's anniversary speech are subtle biases against select persons, of which every administration of this state is guilty of including the present. A case in point is the governor’s analogy of government as a cabal. The question is, from the days of Obong Victor Attah through the Chief Godswill Akpabio years to the present Deacon Udom Emmanuel led administration, which government has not been controlled by a cabal? Despite the state-sponsored religiosity we are witnessing today, cult-related crisis and other vices perpetrated by misguided youths are still spreading across the state, so the claim that any particular person will bring out the worst in our youths should he become the governor, is sheer bias. Even the genuine efforts that people dedicated to defending the state in the face of a ruthless opposition are now counted against them.

Again, how is a leader stopping by Ibom Plaza to interact with Akwa Ibom people a wrong approach to testing popularity but another leader stopping by Itreto Junction to buy corn from women, the right approach? How is one leader throwing money at people and watching them scramble for the money more demeaning to the people than another leader inciting the protesters against themselves with money and watching the entire state being shamed all over the country? How convenient is it for the same source that preaches peace, unity and love, to spread animosity, bias and grudge? It is my opinion that too much unnecessary energy has been expended to sever the bond between Akwa Ibom people and some select persons because of 2023, yet nothing tangible is done to woo the masses to the side of the yet to be known preferred successor.

The governor has given his own criteria for a successor, and thankfully, he has given Akwa Ibom people the liberty to decide what they want. Not too long ago, Akwa Ibom was in her darkest times in the name of election. Hopefully, in making their decision ahead of 2023, the people will not forget in a hurry those who stuck their neck for this state in 2019. The people will not forget those who inspired young people across the state to brace themselves and confront terror with their bare hands. They will not forget those in whose names they went to war in 2019, and who they have known long and well enough to inspire them again in 2023. The people cannot be certain that the governor’s criteria of his successor would not change few years after he has left office should the relationship sour just like it happened between him and his predecessor. So the people must have and stand by their own criteria of a successor - only then will the election truly be about who they want and not who is imposed on them.

Ahead of the 2015 governorship election in the state, we witnessed how the then governor demolished those who were going to be serious contenders in the election just to pave way for his preferred successor. We had hoped that never again would the state unleash such brute aggression against her own people. Sadly, ahead of 2023, it is becoming increasingly clear that we might be going back to where we left eight years ago. It usually begins with bad-mouthing like we saw during the anniversary speech, then a little force is applied and little more is added. So, to the governor’s question on what kind of successor I want as an Akwa Ibomite. My answer is, I want a successor who would come from a fair process and not one who would need others to be demolished for him to stand.