Prostitutes Engage Akwa Ibom State Information Commissioner In A Brawl.

Written By Mecky I. Peter Uyo. Two Ladies believed to be professional hookers were yesterday allegedly engaged the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Hon. Aniekan Umanah in a serious scuffle. The incident which took place about 10:00pm in a Hotel in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo Akwa Ibom State was suddenly quelled by security personnel who were either working there or protecting the commissioner. A waitress in the hotel, who simply gave her name as Iniobong said argument broke out between the two ladies when they clashed in the hotel room hired by the commissioner. She stated that based on their argument, one of the hookers who was earlier booked did not show up on time which made the sex tasty commissioner to immediately call in the other one to enable him leave the hotel and go for one of their nocturnal meetings. “One of the girls was crying allowed saying ‘you called me to come and I told you to give me one hour and because I was very far, you now call in this prostitute and allow her to hit my head with her shoe’ she while she wiped the blood on head. She said her taxi was waiting for her outside and needed money to pay him off.” Iniobong volunteered. It was gathered that Mr Umanah whose shirt was torn as a result of the squabble, was whisked away from the back of the hotel into his waiting car by security men believed to be his body guards. The two ladies were detained momentarily by the hotel mobile police and later shown the way out. But the one with injury on the head was called back by one of the hotel managers and taken to an unknown clinic for first aid and treatment. A staff who pleaded anonymity told this reporter that it was very common to see politicians inviting to or more ladies in the hotel to disturb the peace of the place. “They have been doing things a lot of time. I don’t know if they don’t always think of the consequence of bringing two women in a hotel or they are not ashamed of themselves’’ the hotel employee maintained.

Gov. Akpabio: In Search Of Scapegoats in the United State.

Written By Eno Adams: In the last few days, several headlines in Nigerian newspapers have reported on a grant of application by a US federal court in the state of Georgia instituted by Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State against two US based indigenes of the Akwa Ibom state, Messrs Thompson Essien and Nicholas Edet and their organization, Ibibio People’s Union (IPU). According to an Uyo based Weekly Insight newspaper published last Sunday, the two gentlemen are asked to “produce documents and information, and to provide sworn testimonies, relating to criminal investigations into their activities in the United States and Akwa Ibom State” regarding March 22, 2011 violence that claimed twelve lives and caused “extensive” damage to property in the state including the state campaign headquarters of President Jonathan. The motivation of the state governor is clear as summarized in this report’s headline: Akpabio Tackles Opposition Forces Abroad… For him it is worth spending millions of dollars of the people’s money to chase shadows instead of investing in people-oriented programs. The event of March 22, 2011 was a disaster waiting to happen. The public was aware of it, names were named and some of them are still on the Akwa Ibom state government payroll. The state Director of State Security Service (SSS) was notified of it ahead of it eight days earlier yet he did nothing to abort the disaster. In a letter dated March 14, 2011, Bar. Francis EFanga, had predicted just eight days before then. in the letter to the State Director of State Security Service (SSS) based on instructions of his clients, [Our instructions are that] “the Peoples Democratic Party (hereinafter called, "the PDP") led government of Governor Godswill Akpabio in AKWA IBOM STATE has turned mere political campaigns into a harvest of bloodshed. Until the flag off of the ACN Campaigns on Wednesday the 9th of March 2011, there was relative peace in Akwa Ibom State, save for the sporadic incidents of kidnappings, assassinations and armed robberies which have been the feature of the State since 2008. That condition enabled the PDP to launch her campaigns freely and without molestation in several Local Government Areas of the State.” He added, “The PDP and the government suddenly turned violent and accentuated the worsened state of insecurity in Akwa Ibom State, once the ACN joined the race.” That letter directly implicated the former military administration to the state, retired Air Commodore Indongesit Nkanga who was the director general of Akpabio’s re-election campaign. “Following the unprecedented crowd that showed support to the ACN at the flag off, a jittery Governor Godswill Akpabio telephoned the Director General of his re-election campaign, the former military Administrator of the State, Air CommodoreIdongesit Nkanga and chided him for misleading the PDP and the Governor himself that the ACN had no support in the State… At the end, they both reasoned that they had lost the forthcoming election and that the only way to stem off defeat was to kill the ACN Governorship candidate, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.” When Sen. Akpanudoedehe and ACN campaign train arrived Ikot Ekpene to address supporters they were ambushed. With ACN and Sen. Akpanudoedehe supporters were killed, a chain re-action followed. That started what the state governor now crosses the Ocean several thousands of miles away to chase down his number one critics to “depose” them in the United States in a matter they had nothing to do with it. The letter to the state director of SSS warned of many hotspots including Ikot Ekpene where the violent ambush s tarted. Posted below is a copy of the letter posted on different fora including the Ibom_Forum on Tuesday March 15, 2011. Please pay particular attention to the outline titled: IKOT EKPENE, ESSIEN UDIM, IKA, ORUK ANAM AND UKANAFUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS. When you are done with reading this letter, make your own conclusion as to who really masterminded the event of March 22, 2011 and who should have been investigated and prosecuted long time ago. Eno Adams FRANCIS EFFANGA & CO. Chancery Solicitors LEGAL PRACTITIONERS & NOTARIES London Office: Camberwell Church St. London Se5 8tr Mobile:0956440706. Office: 01714805516.Fax: 01717080770 London Office: Bungalow `B' Crest Garden, 11 BolodekuCresent. Dideolu Court, Ogba – Ikeja. Phone: 01-8536571,08023001711 14th March 2011 Our Ref: ACN. FEC. O1. 03. 2011 ORIGINATING OFFICE : LAGOS. THE STATE DIRECTOR, STATE SECURITY SERVICES, UYO – AKWA IBOM STATE. Dear Sir, THE VIOLENCE AND CONTINUING DETERIORATION OF SECURITY AHEAD OF 2011 ELECTION IN AKWA IBOM STATE. We are Solicitors to the ACTION CONGRESS OF NIGERIA inAkwa Ibom State hereinafter called "The ACN" a party registered with the INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION, INEC. Our instructions are that the Peoples Democratic Party (hereinafter called, "the PDP") led government of GovernorGodswill Akpabio in AKWA IBOM STATE has turned mere political campaigns into a harvest of bloodshed. Until the flag off of the ACN Campaigns on Wednesday the 9th of March 2011, there was relative peace in Akwa Ibom State, save for the sporadic incidents of kidnappings, assassinations and armed robberies which have been the feature of the State since 2008. That condition enabled the PDP to launch her campaigns freely and without molestation in several Local Government Areas of the State. The PDP and the government suddenly turned violent and accentuated the worsened state of insecurity in Akwa IbomState, once the ACN joined the race. Following the unprecedented crowd that showed support to the ACN at the flag off, a jittery Governor Godswill Akpabiotelephoned the Director General of his re-election campaign, the former military Administrator of the State, Air CommodoreIdongesit Nkanga and chided him for misleading the PDP and the Governor himself that the ACN had no support in the State. At the end, they both reasoned that they had lost the forthcoming election and that the only way to stem off defeat was to kill the ACN Governorship candidate, Senator John JamesAkpanudoedehe. This they did, in spite of the unambiguous warning of President Jonathan to them that he did not want to become President on the blood of Nigerians. We are instructed further that, so much blood of Akwa Ibompeople have been spilled by the government in the State already. This is the satanic plan that must not be trivialized on the altar of proof. The two conspirators would deny this in public but we are instructed to inform you that this plan must not be allowed to blossom. It must be nibbed in the bud. We are further instructed that unless this is done, anarchy and a bloody revolution would be inevitable. Indeed, the Government refused the ACN the use of the UYO township stadium, the venue of PRESIDENT Jonathan's campaign less than 48 hours before. Only the firm intervention of the State Director of the State Security Services convinced Governor Akpabio to allow the use of the stadium. But in all other campaigns of the ACN in the Local Government Areas in the State, the party is denied designated State venues as would be shown hereunder. So far the party would avoid confrontation and opt for less advertising venues. The resistance of the ACN in the IbionoIbom Local Government Area of the State led to violent confrontation which was only resolved by very responsible policing by the State police command led by a very respectable police commissioner Mr. Sanni Magaji. The police commissioner has issued signals to police commands in the State to offer the parties a level playing field, but this is severely spurned by the government and the ruling party which continues to deny the ACN designated campaign venues duly applied for. The government has fouled the political air and simply will not condone a smooth ACN rally in the Local Government Areas of the State. ETIM EKPO LOCAL GOVERNMNET AREA We are instructed that in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area, the ACN congregated to open a new secretariat of the party at about 12 noon on the 11th of March 2011 in UTU NSEHE/ABAT boundary both in WARD 1 of the Local Government Area. The intention of the party was to hoist the flag of the party and plant their sign board on the office. The party's candidate for the Abak Federal Constituency Mr. UDUAKOBONG OKPO of ABAT Town was there. So was the State Security Services officer attached to Etim EkpoLocal Government Area and other party faithfuls. As the ceremony kicked off, several youths emerged from the house of Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development in the government of Governor Godwill Akpabio, a few metres away, with guns, axes, sticks, matchetes, hammers, knives, bottles and other violent weapons and ran down to the gathering. Among them was NSIMA IBANGA, the PDP CHAPTER CHAIRMAN in ETIM EKPO. They began to matchet the ACN supporters, beat up on them, shoot and hit them with hammer. Many ran away but some stood their grounds and resisted. Many are at the point of death now. Soon arrived soldiers of the Nigerian Army, said to be guarding a SETRACO construction site nearby. The soldiers ordered away the ACN supporters claiming they received a phone call that ACN was hoisting the flag and putting up their sign board on the commissioner's house. When the ACN officers explained to the soldiers that they were commissioning their office and pointed out the commissioner's house to the soldiers, the soldiers asked them to continue their ceremony and stood back to provide them with security. At the end of the meeting, everybody including the soldiers left for home. But at 2 am the following day, men dressed in mobile police uniform and armed with Ak 47 riffles raided the ACN office. They shot randomly. When one ESANG UKO, the PRESIDENT OF ABAT Town Youths woke up to find out what was happening, he saw the following indigenes of UTU NSEHE village: 1.NSIMA IBANGA (PDP WARD 1 CHAIRMAN ) and 2. IMEH IMEH IDUNG among the raiders . He also saw the following indigenes of ABAT Town: 1.Mr. UWEM OTU 2. UDUAK EMMZASON and 3 OKPONGETE EKURIKPA amongst them.They shot ESSANG UDOFA who pointed his touch light at them for ESANG UKO to see. The bullet ripped through his shoulders. He was rushed to hospital that same morning. They then removed the flag and signboard of the ACN and carried them away. Our further instruction is that Commissioner ENOIDEM had always maintained that the ACN should never attempt to hoist its flag or plant a signed board in that village. He warned the village head, chief SUNDAY HAM UDOAKA ( alias AKPAN AHAM) that the day that happened, he would pull down the flag, kill those who did and burn down the house where it was hoisted. The PDP and government functionaries enjoy the free rein because even the authority of the police in the area has been denuded. We are instructed that the nearest police station is in front of the house of Rtd DIG Udom Ekpoudom who of course caused it to be established. Our information is that he is a core loyalist of GovernorGodswill Akpabio and had instructed that the police should not receive any report from the ACN. Accordingly, formal report from the ACN could only be "smuggled" into the police file and never freely. As at the time of our instructions, commissioner Enoidem has already rushed to lodge a report on the incident against the ACN, at the said police station of course. Unless your hallowed office makes a determined effort to track down the culprits in this instruction therefore, there is no doubt that the elections in Akwa Ibom State as would also be noted in the under listed Local Government Areas would be a full blown war. IBIONO IBOM LOCAL GOVERNMNET AREA Our instruction in this Local Government Area are that in the course of the campaigns, the PDP led by MR. Bassey Albert, the commissioner for Finance, Akwa Ibom State, visited IKPANYA WARD 11 IBIONO IBOM Local Government Area and held a meeting with his party faithfuls in a primary school thereat. The PDP WARD 11 Chairman there, one OKON AKPAFIN informed the commissioner in his speech on the occasion that the IKPANYA ward 11 always enjoyed a one party status but that the WARD CHAIRMAN of the ACN MR. OFONIME MARK formerly of the PDP had brought in the ACN, into the WARD. He then asked the commissioner to counsel on how best to deal with that situation. The commissioner in response, instructed that anybody who convened a meeting of the ACN ,should be stoned to death and that the government would handle the consequences . The ACN WARD 11 CHAIRMAN, OFONIME MARK heard this clearly because he lived just by the school and the loudspeaker used was really blaring , He further heard the commissioner add that if he (OfonimeMark) came out on the day of the election, he should be arrested. Our information is that the commissioner is already very antagonistic to the ACN WARD CHAIRMAN for soon after that visit he accused the ACN WARD CHAIRMAN of sending him a threat message, an accusation which was meant to lay the foundation for his arrest even early. It is our instruction that on the 11th of March 2011 when the ACN held its campaign rally at Ikpa, Ibiono Ibom, in defiance of the government's refusal for them to use the venue, the commissioner, commissioned youths with axes, matchets, bottle and guns to disrupt the rally. The ACN ward 11 Chairman was stabbed all over with bottle and clubbed on the head also. He lives to tell the story only on account of the excellent intervention of the police leadership earlier alluded to. Many were wounded and are receiving treatment now in the hospital. Our further information is that the commissioner is chasing one OMA JEREMIAH a friend of the WARD 11 Chairman around with the police claiming he destroyed the PDP campaign office at OKO ITA , the headquarters of the Local Government Council Area. That same day and at the same Oko Ita, one ARCHIBONG OKOKON EDET of the ACN , an indigene of Ifa Atai village inUyo, became marooned from the convoy of the ACN by some mechanical damage to his motor cycle. He stopped to repair his cycle. The PDP youths caught up with him and severely beat up on him. They seized his motor cycle and phone and went away leaving him for death. He survives to tell the story also courtesy of the gallantry of the State police command. The PDP mob led by Ikpongke Dan an indigene of MbiakpanAtan village in Ward 6 and Savior Uwa of Ikot Ada Idem village in Ward 5 of this Local Government Area have vandalised the billboard of SEN. John Udoedehe, the Governorship candidate of the ACN erected same day in that Ward 6. ITU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA Our information is that, PDP elements armed to the teeth prevented the ACN rally at the Civic Centre in the Local Government Headquarters at Mbak-Atai , Itu inspite of an earlier application for the venue. To save lives, the ACN opted for a Church venue to hold their rally. Our client instructs that this shall not always be so. ABAK LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA Instruction from our client in this Local Government Area is that the PDP has sown Mobile Police uniform and prospects to bring in kitted warriors from Ika Local Government Area of the State reputed to have fought boundary wars with the Igbos, to disrupt the ACN rally there. This is expected to follow government's refusal of any venue the ACN could ask for. Obviously, there shall be several loss of lives in this one. Our client is afraid that she could be pushed to the wall here and what could happen can only be imagined. IKOT EKPENE, ESSIEN UDIM, IKA, ORUK ANAM AND UKANAFUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS. Our instructions in these Local Government Areas are that the PDP led by Emmanuel Enoidem, the Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal, Sunday Ibanga, the Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area PDP Chapter Chairman, Nse Ntuen, the Essien Udim Local Government Council Chairman, and Etido Inyang, Governor Akpabio's Special Adviser on Technical matters, all of PDP, have concluded plans to levy war against the ACN. In a meeting held a few days before this instruction at Ukana, the Governor's village at Essien Udim Local Government Area, the parties agreed to vote over #5billion naira in arms and ammunition to wage war against the ACN in these Local Government Areas. Here they do not want the ACN to campaign at all, even in alternative venues. Certainly, the Federal Republic of Nigeria must be interested in this. Should this happen, our client ask, would the April elections still be considered as elections? ESIT EKET LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA We are instructed here that the Council Chairman, one MrVictor Bassey publicly proclaimed to the delight of his guests, the wife of Governor Akpabio, the paramout ruler and other dignitaries in a reception, that no other party would be allowed to campaign in that local government area. This our client says, is on video. He added that such would be considered a crime and treated as such. ORON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA The Commissioner for Youth and Sports , one Oyong Asuquohas already warned off the ACN campaign team. At the burial of former Chairman of the PDP in Akwa IbomState, late Tony Emenyi a few month's ago, he successfully turned back the luxurious buses and other vehicles directed by the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attahto convey mourners to the venue. They were apprehended, prevented from entering Oron town at the Uyo – Oron road in Akwa Ibom State by men instructed by Commissioner Asuquo. They were assaulted, raided, robbed and were forced back. Commissioner Oyong vows to repeat this on the day the ACN campaigns at Oron. CONCLUSION Our client's final instruction is that the activities of the PDP and her government in Akwa Ibom State are clearly calculated to overawe the State. They are lawless, reckless, and bloodthirsty.They have no love for the people of Akwa Ibom and would do anything to keep power. Nothing, not even life would be so sacred to prevent their cravings.. Surely, no free and fair election can take place under this atmosphere. Our client is aware that under the Electoral Act, the INEC has powers to void elections in violent areas. However, this will be grossly unfair to parties who are victims of violence particularly in areas they are popular. We are therefore under instructions to ask that you apprehend all violent elements in government and place them under security watch. The ACN must not be allowed to be pushed to the wall and tempted to react in kind. Moreover, the party may not be able to rein in supporters who could no longer tolerate the excesses of the PDP and her government. Our final instructions are that we ask and we do hereby ask that all venues the ACN ask to use for campaigns be completely secured for use of the party, by all the security agencies in Nigeria, particularly where the PDP herself had used the venues, and that adequate security be provided for all parties equally and fairly in the campaigns. It is certainly not fair to assign the governor and his aides a platoon of security while assigning light security to our client's supporters and encouraging them to resort to their own devices. Our client sends you her warmest regards. For Francis Efanga & Co Francis Efanga Eno Adams, San Francisco, USA

Apostle Helen Ukpabio Cancels Visit To US, Cites Threat to Life

Written By George Baldwin

Aposlte Ukpabio The President and founder of the Liberty Gospel Foundation Church, Lady Apostle Helen Ukpabio says she has indefinitely cancelled her scheduled visits to the USA which where billed for March and May this year. Speaking through her attorney, Victor Ukutt, Esq., the Pentecostal Pastor and Nollywood actress, who has her church branches spread all over Africa, said her decision to cancel her trip was based on the series of death threat she received from organisations like Stepping Stones Nigeria a based in the United Kingdom which claimed to work as a charity to protect witch children in Nigeria. “The woman of God has received written threat to life by several organisations and persons on behalf of Stepping Stones Nigeria. Such threats are very serious that they even say as soon as she sets foot on the US soil she will be killed; so we cannot take such when people determine to be violent because of one’s belief.” Mr Ukutt said. In a chat with a US based media conglomerate, the Allvoices Mr Ukutt revealed that Gary Foxcroft has gone ahead and organised an online donation to enable his group to confront her if she arrives the United States of America. “You see Gary Foxcroft is a criminal and opportunist. He avails himself of any slightest opportunity he sees to con people and make money out of them. Just on hearing that this woman of God will visit US he capitalised on that and raised more than £50,000 to enrich himself and his few online fraudsters. The fund rising is going on right now as I’m talking to you.” The Nigerian lawyer questioned what such money will be used for now that Mrs Ukpabio has cancelled her US trip, if not for personal use. “What is he going to used the money to do now that she has indefinitely put off the visit; is it not to line his pocket or smile to the bank as he used the child witch story to become an overnight millionaire?” Ukutt asked rhetorically. He further disclosed that Mrs Ukpabio was billed to organise a religious program in New York and Huston in March and May this year, respectively. But due given flurry of hostility created by the groups, she has been advised to stay put. And the group has written petition letter to US Department of Immigration and Naturalisation, US Embassy in Nigeria and other department to stop Mrs Ukpabio from entering the US He expressed bewilderment over what he described as malicious falsehood peddled by Mr. Foxcroft and his groups under the guise of child witch to fleece unsuspecting individuals and organisations of their hard-earned currency. “Foxcroft knew that spreading malicious falsehood will enable him to achieve his fraudulent aim. This is because, he knows that people in the US, UK, Germany and other Western world will be captivated by such falsehood on putting children plight on the front burner.” The legal luminary said.

38 Year Old Man Arraigns In Court for Child-Witch Branding and Torture

Benji Rescued by CRARN



Akwa Ibom State: A 38 year old man, Mr. Michael Effiong from Odoronkit
in Esit Esit Eket Local Government Area was on Thursday arraigned before
the Esit Eket Magistrate Court, Uqou over torturing and abandoning of his
seven year old son, Master Benjamin Effoing.



Mr Effoing was arrested barely a week ago by the Esit Eket Divisional
Police Headquarters after a group of NGOs in the area petitioned the
police. The Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) and the Young
Humanistas Network (YHN) in their joint petition, told the police that Mr.
Effiong had earlier abandoned his little son while he was 3 years old after
putting the little lad under intense torture claiming that he was
responsible for his failure in life.



The little boy, fondly called Benji was rescued to CRARN Children Centre in
Eket where he was given medical attention, care and support for three years
before he was reconciled with the father last year. He was again found
roaming the street, about 11 kilometres away from his father village, with
scars and wounds all over his body. When asked what happened to him, he
said “My father said that the witch power has not finished in my body.
Every night he will tie my legs and hand then hang me on the roof while
beating me with wires and sticks...Then he took me in the night and dropped
in a place I did not know; I began to walk around the street looking for
CRARN Centre.”



Mr Effiong who had earlier signed an undertaking with CRARN to love,
protect and give the child education was arrested in his house early
morning penultimate Friday for not only torturing and abandoning the child,
but for breaching spirit of the undertaking he signed with the
organisations.



The intense pressure from members of the Odoronkit community mounted on the
police to give out Mr Effiong, who is a local wood sawyer on bail, did not,
however, yield dividends. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of
Esit Eket, Mr. *Dike Uchechi, *while chatting with news men said the
prosecution of Mr Effiong will go ahead to serve as a deterrent to others
who make abandonment of children in the area a way of life.

“I told the Police Prosecutor in my division, Mr Akpabio to go and charge
the case to court. This will serve as a deterrent to others” the police
boss said.

Michael Effiong tortured son



Speaking to news men, the Director of Administration of CRARN, Mr. Emmanuel
Okon said the organisation will work with law enforcement agency to
prosecute parents who abandon and torture their children



“CRARN with its partners will continue to follow up cases of torture and
abandonment of children to ensure that the children are not unduly exposed
to danger. For the churches that encourage parents to abuse their children,
they should read the scripture carefully and tell us where it said that
children should be treated in this way.” Mr Okon maintained.



The Project Manager, YHN, Mr Ayobami Ojedokun said he was appalled by the
rate at which children were constantly labelled as witches and thrown out
to roam the streets to become easy prey to human traffickers. He called on
the state government to engage churches in intensive campaign to check the
trend of stigmatizing children as witches.



Though Mr Effiong pleaded guilty to all the charges preferred against him,
the Magistrate, Mrs Esther Etukudo said she will transfer the case to the Director of
Public Prosecution, (DPP) in Uyo who will then proceed with the case to the
family court in line with the new child right law of the state. She
commended CRARN and YHN for job well done and significantly for giving the
child absolute care while being abandon by the parents.

She however, ordered that Mr Effiong be remanded in custody till 23 of
March, 2012 when the case will be transferred to Uyo.

Politics: Godswill Akpabio and his Legal Nightmares

Written by
Ikpafak Thompson Essien

Today (March 6, 2012), in an Abuja courtroom of Judge Karfarati,
Barrister Usoro Usoro, who is representing Godswill Akpabio, looked
like a small Billy-goat---the type which Akpabio himself often use for
sacrifice in one of those his many rituals.

As usual, Barrister Usoro Usoro appeared in court dazed and
unprepared. When the judge asked him if he is ready with his prepared
response to what the legal team of Frank Okon had presented, Barrister
Usoro said "No, Your Honor." With this answer, according to eye
witnesses who were in the courtroom, Judge Karfarati almost
(literally) hit the roof in frustration.

"Ok Counsel," the Judge looked straight at Usoro Usoro and his legal
team, "we will meet for trial on March 19, 2012. Do you understand
that?" Barrister Usoro Usoro, whom, from the beginning, everyone knew
that he has no defense for Akpabio on the matter of Frank Okon versus
his client, looked down on the cement floor of the courtroom and
mumbled, "Yes, Your Honor." On that note, the court adjourned until
March 19, 2012.

Reliable sources have confirmed that when the court sits on March 19,
all available evidence from both sides will be presented. Among the
evidence, which will be presented by the legal team of Frank Okon, is
a sworn affidavit by the former National Chairman of Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Nwodo, in which he stated, under oath,
that he never signed a Certificate of Clearance for Godswill Akpabio
to contest the gubernatorial election, which took place on April 26,
2011. If the affidavit sworn by Nwodo is accepted by the court
(analysts say it will be), then Akpabio risks being ordered by the
court to vacate his claimed position as the Executive Governor of Akwa
Ibom State; something Akpabio is having nightmares about and is now
wishing it never came to this.

Mr. Frank Okon has been telling his supporters that if the decision
of the court forces Akpabio out of the Hilltop Mansion, he will then
be sworn in as the next Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
Experts, who are very knowledgeable in the politics of the State, are
arguing about this claim made by Frank Okon. For now, it is very clear
that no one really knows what will happen if Akpabio is forced out of
office.

The Case of Imo Udo

Perhaps, the only one who knows exactly what will happen is Godswill
Akpabio himself. People who are close to Akpabio say he has been
telling those close to him that he would rather die than let Senator
Akpan Udoedehe and Mr. Frank Okon succeed him. Why he feels this way
about the Senator is no longer a secret to the people of Akwa Ibom
State, but his abhorrence for Frank Okon is due to the frustration
induced by Frank's rejection of all sorts of financial offers made by
Akpabio for him (Frank) to drop the pending case. To make sure that
Frank (or Udoedehe) does not end up becoming his successor, Akpabio
came up with another intriguing strategy by introducing Imo Udo to the
scene.

Let us recall that during second PDP Primary in the State on January
15, 2011 only Imo Udo and Godswill Akpabio were presented as the
candidates for PDP. When the result of the Primary was announced by
INEC, Mr. Imo Udo scored only a single (one) vote, while that of
Akpabio was nearly a million. Frank Okon was not allowed to
participate in the Primary because the Committee's Report on the
matter of Science Park, which was set up by Akpabio to probe Frank
Okon's involvement during the administration of Obong Victor Attah,
had indicted Frank of whatever crime it said he committed. Therefore,
as a convict (at least according to Akpabio) Frank was not eligible to
contest the election.

In the mind of Akpabio, since Frank's name was not on the ballot for
the Primary, if he (Akpabio) is forced out of the office, then Senator
Akpan Udoedehe may end up in the Hilltop Mansion, instead of Frank
Okon. And this is a situation Akpabio sweats about each time he thinks
of the scenario. To save the nightmare of what he suspects Udoedehe
will do to him if he becomes a governor, Akpabio contacted Imo Udo,
who had at least one vote during the Primary, to join in the case of
Frank Okon. Akpabio is also of the opinion that if Imo Udo succeeds
him, he (Imo) will never probe Akpabio's theft and other financial
irregularities he has committed against the people of Akwa Ibom State
since he became a governor in 2007.

True or not, there are speculations in Akwa Ibom State that in order
to convince Mr. Imo Udo to enter the case with Frank Okon, Akpabio had
to pay him $1 million United States dollars (others say 10 million
British pounds). Again this is speculative. The problem is those who
know the real story are not talking.

In any case, nearly one year after the case had been proceeding in
the court, Mr. Imo Udo filed a petition sometime in February 2012
before Judge Karfarati, with a request to enter the case both as a
defendant and as a plaintiff. I am not a lawyer, so, I will leave this
part for our legal minds to explain.

Mr. Frank Okon had filed a motion with the court to stop Mr. Imo Udo
from joining his case. Today (March 6, 2012), when the court sat in
Abuja, Judge Karfarati sided with Mr. Frank Okon and dismissed Mr. Imo
Udo's request to join as a defendant in the case. The request to join
as a plaintiff will be decided when the court sits again in two weeks.

Senator Udoedehe Files an Appeal

As had been expected, the lawyers for Senator Akpan Udoedehe have
filed an appeal with the Appellate Court in Calabar. In ten days (from
today) Akpabio’s lawyers are expected to file a response. Then the
Senator’s lawyers will be given another three days to respond to the
response of Akpabio’s lawyers. After that, a date will be set for a
hearing. Analysts say it is very likely that the Appellate Court may
refuse to listen to the case because the matter may be outside its
jurisdiction, which can only be explained by the Supreme Court. The
lawyers for Senator Udoedehe are already making plans for the Supreme
Court. One of the lawyers said to this writer; “It’s not over until
it’s over.”

Written by
Ikpafak Thompson Essien
Oregon

Governor Akpabio's Free Education: A Political Gimmick!

The Godswill Akpabio administration in Akwa Ibom State promises to give pupils access to free and compulsory education from the primary school level to the first three years in secondary school. Beneficiaries can only enjoy the privilege if they are in public schools. And though many residents of the various communities that make up the state may enjoy the facility, residents of Uda in Mbo Local Government Area have said the scheme is only for some sections of the state if at all it ever exist.


Their grouse seems genuine: Uda, being the largest ethnic group with 31 villages, boasts of a population of about 280,000. However, there is no public school in the area. Consequently, their wards and children cannot take advantage of the government scheme.


And to keep the community schools going, the principals have been trying all the tricks in the books, including the reduction of school fees. As a result, the affected communities struggle to keep the schools afloat, with the attendant hardship on the stakeholders.


The principal of the Community Secondary School, Unyenge, Mr. Etim Ekpe, who decried the situation, said he did not understand the parameters the state government used for the location of public schools.

He said, “If the state government is actually sincere about the idea of free and compulsory education, it would have been paying public examination fees of all categories of pupils in public and private schools, especially in those areas where there are no government secondary schools.

“Since it is this administration’s policy to provide free and compulsory education for all residents of the state, it is expedient for the government to accommodate all the indigenes in the scheme of free and compulsory education. We do not even have subvention from the government, which would have made our pupils to have a sense of belonging.”



Also, in Ibaka, another community in Mbo LG, the Principal of the Community Secondary School, Mr. Victor Mkpeti, lamented the neglect of Uda by the state government.

He said the Community Secondary School had received little from the government in form of a four-classroom block, which was allegedly constructed through inter-ministerial direct labour project. According to him, the community deserved more.



He said, “We also received some desks from the government, but we have also made passionate appeal to the government to take over the school in Ibaka. Necessary inspections have been done and concluded, but we are yet to hear from the government.

“In terms of financial assistance, we have not received anything from the government. The parents and guardians of pupils in Uda communities are the ones paying for their children and wards’ examinations’ fees; the government does not pay exam fees for children in Uda communities.”

He added that many people from Uda communities did not know that there was free and compulsory education in the state.



Mkpeti said Ibaka Community Secondary School lost over 1,000 pupils to Enwang Comprehensive Secondary School because of the free education being enjoyed by pupils who attend the latter school.

This being the case, he said, “Our community might as well forget any hope of development; because without education, a community cannot thrive.”



He said if the government could take over the schools in Uda communities, there would be more patronage, more pupils, more teachers, more facilities and overall improved standard of education.



He noted that the financial hardship usually experienced by parents and guardians would reduce, as pupils
who were compelled to relocate to other communities where they rented accommodation, or spent money on transport fares to schools in Enyang, would now stay in their localities.



Mkpeti said the school’s authorities in Ibaka had tried as much as it could to keep the school fee at affordable level so that parents and guardians could afford it for their children.

“We are not public school; we are community secondary school operating like public school. We charge N3,000 per pupil per term as school fee. We need to keep the tuition at minimum so that many parents and guardians can afford them. If we increase the school fee, we may not see anybody here to teach.

“The policy has affected our own welfare because any amount we realise, we channel some to paying staff salaries, while the other is for the maintenance of the school. We seriously need government presence. These pupils are also a part of this state. You can’t empower some and leave the other. Government policy must be balanced,” he said.



The Vice-Principal, Community Secondary School, Unyenge, Mr. John Atte, revealed that both the completed and uncompleted classroom blocks in the school were built by the Universal Energy Resources Limited.



He said the greatest problem between the community and the company was the lack of Memorandum of Understanding. He noted that since the company had shied away from entering into the MOU with the community, it became difficult for both the community and the company to work as a unit to achieve meaningful development.



A teacher, also in the Community Secondary School, Unyenge, Mr. Lincoln Emmanson, said if the government had resolved not to take up any of the secondary schools in Uda, it should at least pay for the WAEC and NECO fees of students in those schools.



He said, “These people belong to Akwa Ibom State. Where will they go to enjoy their rights and privileges other than their own state? It is unbecoming of any government policy to favour only certain sections of the state and leave out others.”



Emmanson said when he visited other communities in Ibibio, Anang and other places; he noticed that places that were not up to a quarter of the size of Uda had between two and three public secondary schools.



An SS II student in the Community Secondary School, Ibaka, Master Okon Johnson, said the state government treated them as if they were not citizens of the state. He said whenever it was election time, the various aspirants would come to Uda communities; but once they got what they wanted, they left.

“This is the most deprived community in the entire state. We do not have roads, we do not have public secondary schools; even the primary schools we have in Uda communities, were built by missionaries. The only government presence is during election.”



Also in Afi Uda, the story is not different, as pupils are said to have deserted the community in search of free and compulsory education in other parts of the state.



For two weeks, our correspondent made attempts to speak with the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Nseabasi Akpan, but he was said to be unavailable. During a visit to his office in the Ministry of Education in Uyo, it was his Personal Assistant, one Mr. Peter (who refused to give his last name) that attended to our correspondent.



Peter said the commissioner would call our correspondent whenever he was able to. A fortnight after the encounter with Peter, the commissioner was yet to call; while several calls to his purported telephone line (as provided by Peter) indicated that it had been switched off.



In his response, the chairman of Mbo LGA, Mr. Okpo Ekere, said there was no reason to establish public secondary schools in Uda communities. He said pupils were free to attend schools in areas where there were public secondary schools.



He said, “Siting a school and attending the school is a matter of choice. I didn’t attend school close to my location. I sat down and took a decision as a young man and communicated that decision to my father that I would like to attend a school away from my home. I entered the school in my Common Entrance Examination form and wrote the exam. I went as far as northern Cross River State to go to school; whereas my parents were residing here in Oron.


“So, you will still have a lot of Uda sons and daughters who will prefer to go to school in Eket, Uda, or in Uyo. As this awareness is on the increase, the attendant effect will be that the host community may have a secondary school that people will not be willing to attend and so there will be no need for government or the private sector to invest within that environment.”
By:Dave Emma

VICTORIA AND THE NIGHTMARE OF AKWA IBOM ‘WITCH’ CHILDREN

Written By

Mecky I. Peters

pmeckfree@yahoo.com



My heart bleeds as I read the story of Victoria. How her own parents subjected her to midnight torture; when everywhere has been calmed, waking her up at night and burning her with candle to extract confession. This time not Victoria Climbie, but Victoria Akwa-Ibom. We reject our own for others to pick and make good use of as if our own ignorance is incurable. The story of Akwa Ibom Child Witch Story is an endless one of the levity with which the government subjected it to.



In Akwa Ibom State, it is very terrible situation while our government tries a lot to make a window dressing as if nothing bad is going on; and the very the church that causes this whole problem is trying to blame humanists and atheist groups for the very problem that they initiated in 1999, brainwashing people with films such as "END OF THE WICKED," "ESCAPE ROOT" and "The COVEN" And books like ''The Seat of Satan Exposed'' ''UNVEILING THE MYSTERY OF WITCHCRAFT'' written by Apostle Helen Ukpabio. The latter states, in part: “If a child under the age of two screams in the night, cries and is always feverish with deteriorating health he or she is a servant of Satan.” This is however a common phenomenon in the rustic Nigerian communities where malaria epidemic is nothing to write home about and given the avalanche of mosquitoes from pot holes, stench-emitting blocked gullies and garbage heaps



Years back, we witnessed how aged people were accused of witchcraft, causing unheard-of atrocity were abused, neglected or killed openly, (Remember Akpan Ekwong who led the killings of people in the early eighties?); no child was ever accused of being a witch. But after such films, music and pulpit theology laced with fear of witchcraft and how children have taken over the witch world, the fate of Akwa Ibom child changed for the worst. In every 2 children accused of witchcraft in Nigeria 1 is from Akwa Ibom. Outside Nigeria, in every 4 children accused of witchcraft, 1 is from Akwa Ibom State. But we continue to downplay on the magnitude of this problem and castigate those who dare to work or campaign to reverse this ugly and dangerous trend. Thank God that this very story is not written by an Akwa Ibom person otherwise they would have referred it to blackmailing AkwaIbom State government at the detriment of child



As I write this piece, inside my mind, I frown at Aniekan Umanah, the present Akwa Ibom State Information Commissioner, for lying to the world that no child has ever being harmed or hurt on account of witchcraft while children continue to face death penalty in churches and their family homes. As we walk the streets daily we see more and more children on the Street because the misinforming, sorry LIAR Commissioner of Orientation and Information has disoriented the people and not help to enlighten his society. I frown at him for not educating the people about the wicked brainwash of these vile and renegade churches.



Some journalists who had reported about the true child witch story to expose the atrocity of these churches and the parents, have been paid by Aniekan Umanah and the Liberty Gospel Church to write a reverse story. With time, I believe we will work with some human right lawyers to face his paid journalists for the monumental deceit. All is not yet Uhuru for them. Let them get paid and tell lies about the fate of children of Akwa Ibom origin. But I must strongly commend some of the journalists and right groups who stood their ground and refused to be paid with blood money to sacrifice our children. Those who see the truth and tell it the way it is; those who have refused to be bought to tell lies. I condemn in the strongest possible terms the News Watch magazine and The News for misleading the public with their paid job to belch cannon of lies about the right groups that work to rescue and protect these vulnerable children. Those who are here knows the truth and cannot be deceived



As I write now, one child is facing jungle justice out there for no crime he or she has committed. Her only crime is that she was born to an Akwa Ibom person, or perhaps in a poor family. The Akwa Ibom Child Fate is that of witch branding, stigmatisation, torture, abandonment, suffocation, trafficking, rituals and DEATH. The government has not done anything to enlighten the folk and religious groups on the superstitious belief of child witchcraft simply because most government officials believe that those children deserve such fate since they are guilty as charged. They pay much attention to buy the media to tell the world that those who campaign for stoppage of child stigmatization; torture and killing are doing so for pecuniary reason without offering an alternative.



Thank goodness, the federal government of Nigeria through Dr Idris Kuta, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development recently issued a statement acknowledging child witch palaver and made a strong condemnation on those stigmatised and torture children in the name of witchcraft.



I just read in media how the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio is working with the state House of Assembly to gag the media with headlines such as “Gov Akpabio’s Akwa Ibom Assembly arrogating Power to Itself to Gag Journalists." “Akwa Ibom Govt moves to gag media over critical reporting of Governor Akpabio”



While I am yet to come to term with this, I will no doubt encourage government to pay attention to the myriads of problem that bedeviled the fate of stigmatised children and do more to curb the menace instead of wasting time establishing repulsive laws that will attract more criticism and cynicism. I agree that the law has been passed since 2008, but how many pastors or parents have been prosecuted. Not a single one! Rather we eulogize them and expect every body to do same. Unfortunate! Apart from the mere arrest and bail-out no one has ever face prosecution. Those who report such pastors to the government or its agency, risk being gunned after, blackmailed, even by same government agents with tacit support from the executive government. Akpabio and his government agents have been very infamous in launching vicious and calumnious attack on the right groups backed up by organisation such as Liberty Gospel Church that invented the child witch imbroglio and indeed phenomenon in Nigeria.



The Story of Victoria from Akwa Ibom State whose parents work in INEC and live in Karu, Abuja tells you that Akwa Ibom Child is not save any where in the world with brainwash launch by the Christian fanatical groups and government inaction or lack of intervention. Victoria's story reminds me of the Good Samaritan who wasn’t a Christian but stopped to rescue the dying Christ. Barrister Aja N. Aja who rescued Victoria is not from Akwa Ibom and may not be a Christian but dovetailed to help Victoria who is an Akwa Ibom Child.



Apart from the Child’s Right and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN) whose, founder (Sam Itauma) and members are Christians all other right groups that are today campaigning for the end to Child stigmatisation are not Christian by inclination or concept but they work tirelessly to save the lives of children who are manacled in churches and starved to death in the name of exorcism and the streets. So what the fusses about atheist and humanist groups when Christian groups have failed us? What the fuss when churches have failed us; when pastors, evangelist, Apostles, Bishop, Prophets have failed us?



I recently attended the attended a UNICEF advocacy meeting here in Akwa Ibom, where a government representative stood up and argued that some of the accused children might be witches. If a government official made such remarks in a high profile advocacy meeting like that, what does one expect how such children will be treated by the an ordinary person?



Such helpless children continue to dot the streets, taking refuge in abandoned structures and becoming prey to human traffickers and ritual killers. What could have happed to all these children if these groups did not step up campaigns to protect them? Reporting such abuse, torture or killing of children on the media is seen as fighting the government. The Akwa Ibom government continues to flaunt its bloated ego sweeping such cruelty on children under the carpet with the archaic cliché “Akwa Ibom Ado Ok”. Meaning Akwa Ibom is Ok! And now, it is “the Uncommon Transformation!” But whatever transformation that may have set in, while the human trafficking business in Nigeria or Africa continues to boom because the syndicates know Akwa Ibom State is a repository of abandoned children only compared to Nepal as a whole, makes such transformation a lip-service.



Truly if the Channel News TV that aired Victoria’s story was in Akwa Ibom, it would not have gone unscathed. The TV anchorman would have been under crucible investigation now by the government security agents. No doubt Governor Akpabio is working round the clock to gag the press using the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as a puppet, defying the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill that was passed into law by the federal government of Nigeria.



While appreciating the fact that state government had enacted the child protection law, I bemoan bitterly as the implementation still remains a mirage. How many of these pastors or parent have so far been prosecuted, apart from the arrest and bail? One strong question that refuses to depart the lips of many is: What would have happened to the thousands of children stigmatised children if the civil society and right groups had taking to sitting on the fence? Clearly, with about 50 thousands churches in Nigeria, only one church is leading a campaign against witch hunting; with zero tolerance to witchcraft belief. This is Solid Rock Kingdom Church with Apostle John Okoriko. Can other churches and pastors borrow a leaf here?



To this end, I wish to dole out my Diadem of Honour to the right groups and civil society organizations with the following acronyms for working hard to save the witch children of Nigeria: CRARN, UNICEF, NAPTIP, SSN, YHN, CEHRD NHM and indeed the initiator of Anti Child Witch-Hunt Campaign Mr. Sam Itauma for donating time, resources and love for the ostracized children right to life.



Peters writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State