…to present to Speaker, others an imposed male aspirant Friday, July 19
By Stephen Udim
Baring any last minute change of plans, the newly appointed leader of Otoro Ward 2, Abak local government area; Elder Ubong Udofia in concert with a few other stakeholders in the ward would present an aspirant alleged to be a product of imposition to the Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon (Elder) Udeme Otong and Political leaders of Abak LGA on Friday, 19th July, 2024 as ‘preferred’ Councillorship aspirant for the forthcoming Councillorship election.
A political elder from the area who spoke to our Correspondent on grounds of anonymity said the move was against Governor Umo Eno’s directive that women of Akwa Ibom State should be given opportunity in governance through a minimum of forty percent (40%) representation at the 31 local government areas of the State.
According to our source, wife of the Honourable Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Deaconess Margaret Otong had on July 1, 2024, during a meeting with female Political Stakeholders held at the Constituency office of the Speaker in Abak, conveyed the governor’s directive that women should be encouraged to be in government.
He said “On July 1, 2024, wife of the Speaker held a meeting of female Political Stakeholders. At that meeting, it was resolved that Wards that have not had females as elected or appointees should be allowed to choose females as Councillorship aspirants.
On the strength of that, a certain woman; Mrs. Aniebiet Uduak from Ikot Osom was unanimously adopted as consensus aspirant by the entire community since it was zoned to Ikot Osom community in Otoro Ward II. The woman (Mrs Aniebiet) was asked to come and consult the entire Ward elders in order to enjoy everyone’s support, which she did.
“But, to everyone’s surprise, after the woman had spent money to do consultations, Elder Ubong Udofia along with Mr. Sampson Sampson and Mr. Itai James went and brought one Mr. Nsentip Johnson and imposed him against the popular choice of the people. This is the same Nsentip whose father; Hon Ikpe Johnson had been a Councillor”.
It was further learnt that trio of Ubong Udofia (Newly appointed Ward Leader), Mr. Sampson Sampson (Chairman, Elders Forum) and Mr. Itai James (PA to Governor on Youths Matters) have vowed to ensure that their preferred aspirant; Nsentip emerges as Councillor in the Ward.
Efforts to speak to Ubong, Sampson and Itai on the allegations were unfruitful at press time.
It would be recalled that Gov Umo Eno, believed to be acting on the wife’s appeal, had directed that all the three Senatorial Districts of the state should elect two females each as Chairpersons in the forthcoming local government election while each local government is to elect a minimum of four councillors.