Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
…Urue Offong Oruko Stakeholders Cry Out
No sooner than the news of Pastor Umo Eno’s adoption by stakeholders and statutory delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Urue Offong Oruko Local Government Area was filtering into the air, a strong source has said they did so under duress.
Pastor Umo Eno was last Sunday presented by Governor Udom Emmanuel to Akwa Ibom PDP stakeholders as his preferred successor.
Tension has however been let loose on the state, owing to unpleasant reactions by partymen, some of who have openly protested the governor’s decision.
Some of these were the petition addressed to the national leadership of PDP by the founding fathers of the party in the state and those of Ibiono/Itu people who on Thursday protested “the unfairness of the governor’s choice.”
Describing the action of Umo Eno’s adoption by stakeholders of Urue Offong Oruko LGA as “desperation of ambitious men”, a source who was part of the meeting, stated that what transpired was a regrettable demonstration of loose character by political leaders of the area.
The meeting reportedly convened by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Transportation, Rt Hon Uno Etim Uno at his Shelter Afrique residence, was said to have initially been arranged to hold at the government House, Uyo.
Sources say the invitation for the meeting had stated that stakeholders would gather at the commissioner’s house before leaving for the government house where they would be addressed by the governor.
Our reporter gathered that the chapter publicity secretary of the party, Elder Charles Emene had announced the meeting during the state party meeting on Thursday.
Another source who spoke to Newstrack on the condition of anonymity revealed that as they arrived the commissioner’s residence, they were compelled to signing the document of endorsement under duress.
Our reporter reliably gathered that the delegates only wrote their names and positions in attendance sheets, the same they say has been intended for a manipulated communique.
One of the attendees of the meeting has this to say, “I have never seen that kind of a thing in my entire life. We never anticipated this extreme show of desperation.
“They drafted the resolution before hand. We do not have any moral justification to sign any resolution in support of the governor’s anointed aspirant. What we actually signed was attendance for the meeting.
“That’s what they have attached to the ill-fated communique which was sternly resisted during the meeting.
“Being a partyman does not mean being a slave to men who lack conscience. Governor Emmanuel cannot point at one thing he has done for Urue Offong Oruko people in his six years of governance.
“You need to see the level of intimidation with which they treated us. They brought thugs to jam-pack the whole place. They locked the gate so that we couldn’t go out.
“It is important to let the world know that we never signed the document out of our own volition”, he said.
Again, another source affirmed, “I can tell you for free that this is the highest level of greed. If the governor’s anointed is popular, why are they desperately and undemocratically couching delegates using government instruments?”
(nationalnewstrack.com)
