Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
… Chairmanship Seat Tears Political Stakeholders Apart
… As Youths Petition Mma Valerie Ebe Over Imposition
Except through timely divine intervention, the various political stakeholders in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, may soon, be indulging in a free-for-all-fight, following the wanton imposition of one Stephen Ntukekpo, a cousin to the former Deputy Governor, Lady Valerie Ebe as the Chairman of the council.
Our Reporter gathered that the said Ntukekpo is not only a novice in Mkpat Enin politics, but was imposed on the generality of Mkpat Enin people, as the Transition Secretary of the area, by her aunt, Lady Valerie Ebe. An Executive member of PDP in Mkpat, who craved for anonymity, claimed that, the former Deputy Governor is fond of imposing her family members on the slots meant for Mkpat Enin people disclosing that, she had already, handpicked her biological son, Anietie Maurice Ebe, as Special Assistant to the Executive Governor of the state.
The Party-man urged the governor of the state, to always seek the consent of the various stakeholders in Mkpat Enin politics before allocating slots, noting that, the forthcoming chairmanship seat of Mkpat Enin should be rightly zoned to Ukpum Minya ward one and ward four, adding that, anything short of that, will split the area into two. He stressed that, if Stephen Ntukekpo is allowed to boss the Local Government Area, it will amount to imposition, and pleaded with the governor and the leadership of the party, never to allow the council to experience twice the same predicament.
“We have not recovered from the last imposition we experienced in this local government area, if the governor should allow Lady Valerie Ebe to impose her cousin, Mr. Stephen Ntukekpo, who doesn’t know anything about the council, nor supported Mr. Udom Emmanuel, then, I can assure you that, the party will split into three. “In Mkpat Enin, we all know that, the Chairmanship seat is zoned to Ukpum Minya clan, with particular reference to ward 1 and 4. Why it should be zoned to only those two wards, is that, they have never produced elected chairman since the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates.
“Ward two had produced Akparawa Elder Udo Sam Umoatan as elected, while, Ward three had produced Chief Richard Aaron Umoren, as elected and Mr. Ubong Ekefre as appointed. Thus, justice, equity and fairplay demand that ward one and ward four which have produced only Chief Maurice Ebe and Ubong Ekwere Inyang respectively as appointed Chairmen should be entitled to the chairmanship seat of the area. “As it stance, Mma Ebe is said to have concluded plans with the governor, with a view of imposing Stephen as the next chairman of the area, if such tricks is allowed to play out, then, I can assure you that, PDP in Mkpat Enin will split.” he prophesied.
Meanwhile, youths in the area, under the aegis of Mkpat Enin youths in Politics, have risen against the antics of the former Deputy Governor, and urged the governor, to also seek inputs from other stakeholders, else lose the local government to a strange political party. The Youths condemned the act of imposing the Transition Secretary on the generality of the people, describing such act as barbaric, greedy and shortsighted.
In a statement signed by Comrade Bassey Inyang, a native of Ukpum Minya Ward four, as Chairman of the group and Nathan Umoren, a native of ward three, as Secretary, the Mkpat Enin youths pledged to upturn every crafty imposition of the former deputy Governor, describing her, as a selfish and greedy politician. “She ought to have proffered other means of settling her immediate family, not to allocate public offices to them. When the slot of Special Assistants came to our Local Government, she handpicked her biological son, Anietie Maurice Ebe, now; she wants to impose her cousin, on us. We are not fools, last time, we suffered this impending scenario and as youths in politics, we will never stoop so low to allow, her to treat us unfairly. When she imposed Stephen on us, as secretary, we didn’t complain, because we knew, Transition Committee is not recognized by law. “If she dare tries that, this time, we will use all the machineries within our disposal to kick against it”, the statement reads in part. All efforts to reach the former Deputy Governor proved abortive as her number was forwarded to voice mail, when our Reporter introduced his name to her.
