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LESS than 24 hours after Akanimo Bob, Personal Assistant II to the Governor from Mkpat Enin, stirred controversy with an open letter accusing the council boss of fomenting crisis in the area, the Dean of Supervisors, Barr. Daniel Hilary, has swiftly responded.
In an official statement issued today, the law luminary vehemently debunked all allegations made by Akanimo, asserting that the Governor's aide is currently on the police wanted list for the many crimes he allegedly committed and wanton destruction of property in Mkpat Enin.
The press release further revealed that Akanimo Bob, despite claiming authorship of the letter, is deemed unlikely to possess the eloquence displayed in the document, suggesting the involvement of mischief makers using him as a proxy.
The statement read: "I have clinically read the above titled letter, and I am compelled to rejoin as such given the false, distorted and malicious content of the same.
"Sincerely, I choose to rejoin the said letter just to put the Governor and Mkpat Enin public in a proper perspective.
"Firstly, my strong conviction is that the said Akanimo Bob is not the author of that letter given the elegant wordings therein. Mr Akanimo Bob I know is not lettered as such and can't even in the widest dreams of ghosts author such piece. The said letter from my findings emanated from mischief makers using Akanimo Bob as proxy.
"Secondly, Akanimo Bob being a PA to the Governor ought to always uphold, preserve and present truth at all times to the Governor than trying to misinform the Governor, and Mkpat Enin people at large.
"Thirdly, Mr. Akanimo Bob had threatened before me on the 7/12/2023 to mobilize his group and unleash conflicts in Ukam market if he is not allowed to continue as revenue agent by the council. The decision of the Council to desolved all standing committees of the local government on December 2023 and giving tax holidays to the traders during that December, did not go down well with Akanimo Bob.
"Angered by the present new revenue arrangement for the market put in place by the council which did not return Akanimo Bob as revenue agent, has chosen to go his evil ways but for swift stiff resistance by the security operatives in and around the market at the instance of the pragmatic chairman, Lady Mercy Bassey served the market from being invaded by Akanimo Bob and his group.
"I hope that Akanimo Bob will submit himself to investigation on his letter and to police Officers whom Akanimo Bob had been on their wanted list over crimes and atrocities he committed in Ukam community in recent times. Of course the Police officers will be activated to revisit those crime records in order to bring Akanimo to justice.
"Fourthly, it is a blatant falsehood to say that the Transition Chairman, Lady Mercy Bassey is victimising Ikpa Ibom Ward 2 for political reason, given that the said letter does not disclose any material fact in support of such claim. However, it is the turn of Ikpa Ibom clan under the zoning arrangement of Mkpat Enin LGA to produce executive chairman during the coming local government election.
"To set the record straight here, zoning arrangement for the position of chairmanship in Mkpat Enin LGA has always been on clans basis and not on wards basis. Therefore any eligible Ikpa Ibom son and daughter from any of the four wards of Ikpa Ibom clan is qualified to contest when the time comes. Issue of zoning on ward basis as canvassed in that letter is baseless. Therefore to import such narrative into the said letter has exposed the desperation of those behind the ugly letter.
"Frankly, Mkpat Enin people are very much aware that the authors of the said letter are on a sponsored venture to malign the image of the Transition Chairman, Lady Mercy Bassey for selfish political agenda.
"Lastly, I write to inform His Excellency and Mkpat Enin people that the said letter is a fabricated lies calculated to bring the image of the Lady Mercy Bassey into disrepute. The said letter should not be given any probative value in its entirety.
"The Transition Chairman Lady Mercy Bassey is very focused and committed to giving good and purposeful leadership to the people of Mkpat Enin. We as members and supervisors of the Transition committee are solidly in support of the chairman, which of course is working on our collective decision to foster peace and development in Mkpat Enin.
"On the final note, Mkpat Enin transition committee under the headship of Lady Mercy Bassey will not succumb to any campaign of calumny and blackmail, but will rather remain focused and committed to providing leadership in Mkpat Enin LGA in line with the ARISE agenda of His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno, the governor of Akwa Ibom state."
Meanwhile, Mrs Gift Samuel Monday, the wife of late Samuel Monday Toby, who was killed in December 2023 by hooligans allegedly working in collaboration with Akanimo, has written a petition to the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police.
In the petition dated 29th December, 2023, Mrs Monday revealed that her husband was killed by amed men, suspected to have been sponsored and instructed by the village head of Ikot Akpaobong, Eteidung Aniefiok Cyril Udom.
She further revealed the names of the suspects who allegedly killed her husband as follows; Emmanuel Sunday Asuquo; Ubong Michael Elijah; Samuel Sunday Asuquo; Ndifreke Tomorrow; Etebom Cyril Udom; Obong Cyril Udom, Christian Idara Cyril, who are all indigenes of Ikot Akpaobong village.
"That his assassination is not far-fetched from his 21st December, 2023, involvement in the enforcement of the Ikot Akpaobong Market revenue collection suspension directive of the Mkpat Enin Local Government Council, having been appointed to aide in the implementation of the directive.
"That arising from such enforcement participation, the above mentioned persons amongst others upon being armed, stormed our family compound on the 22nd of December, 2023 at about 2:00am, demanded that we open the door; and when asked by my husband who they are, they unanimously said that "they are men of the Nigerian Police Force".
"While we refused to open the door, they broke same, entered and dragged my husband out of the house, there at he was stabbed at the armpit and shot at the chest to death; after which the culprits ran away, all efforts to intimidate fellow community people to come to our rescue was to no avail," she narrated.
In another reaction, a press release by the Secretary of the Transition Committee, Pastor Amos Afia, has revealed that Akanimo Bob Ikpe in collaboration with Eteidung Aniefiok Cyril Udom, the village head of Ikot Akpaobong Village, flouted the Local Government directive on suspension of revenue collection in December 2023, by forcefully selling unauthorized tickets to traders in Akpaudo and Ukam markets.
The release further revealed that the claim by Akanimo that he was a revenue collection officer amounted to illegality as records in the Council showed that at no time was Akanimo contracted by the Local Government for collection of revenue.
"From all the records available in the Local Government Council, there is no record that indicates that the Local Government Council at any point engaged the services of Akanimo Bob Ikpe as a revenue officer. Rather, the Council engaged a certain Samruf Technical Services Limited for the revenue business and details of the engagement shows that the contract elapsed in December 2023. Therefore, the claim by Akanimo Bob Ikpe that he was a revenue collection officer in the Local Government amounts to illegality," the release stated.
The release assured that the Transition Committee was working closely with the Nigeria Police and all relevant security agencies to ensure that all culprits in the current crisis are brought to book, adding that the Committee was committed to restoring and ensuring lasting peace in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area.
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