Akwa Ibom indigenes begin recall of Senator

[TGD]

 FOLLOWING the alleged refusal by Senator Aloysius Etok representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District to apologise to Governor Godswill Akpabio and with the expiration of the seven days' ultimatum given him, the consequent recall process is scheduled to begin on Friday, May 10, with collection of signatures from people of the district.

This was revealed by the state Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, in Uyo, the state capital, Wednesday.

According to him, the people of Annang extraction have never looked down on the Ibibios in the district or in the state as a whole, saying that it was in the spirit of such brotherliness that Senator Etok was elected into the senatorial seat for two consecutive times, a feat that has never happened before.

Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District is made up of 10 council areas. Out of these, the Ibibio have two council areas while the Annang have eight.

He noted that the statement the governor made, which is causing the senator to make inflammatory statements, is unfortunate because if the senator had felt insulted, it would have been more appropriate for him to consult with the elders of the district and ask for the governor's apology; rather than calling him names.

Enoidem wondered why the electorate would have supported the senator for his second term bid if he was what he was being called today, despite the fact that the people did not feel the senator's impact in the first term.

"We will not support Senator Etok in 2015, what we are doing has no ethnic coloration or sentiment. It has to do with a failed and insulting representation and a man who does not recognise the people", he said.

The commissioner said he was surprised to hear a distinguished senator living on falsehood, stressing that the signatures being canvassed for do not attract any financial benefit to those that would sign as was being circulated by the senator.

Fielding questions, he said: "We don't have any tension in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, what we are doing is lawful and within the contemplation of the constitution; we cannot send Senator Aloysius Etok back to the Senate in 2015. He has failed us woefully; he has disappointed us deeply and has insulted us gravely.

"In short, what we are doing now is to recall him because we gave him seven days to apologise and he refused; we are going to recall him from the Senate and the time we gave expired on Wednesday last week.

"So as we talk now, we are initiating a procedure to recall him from the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It has nothing to do with Annang or Ibibio; it has to with our representative that we loved and sent to the Senate for two times.

"Nobody needs kobo to sign for his recall, everybody is waiting for Friday. It is not a matter of money but to teach people that when you represent anybody, you must do well responsibly; it is time to teach those who are representing us that there is need for accountability", he stressed.



The Guardian