Out to oust ALUKO: Prince Akpabio, Oliver Ebong battle Essien Udim council chairman

Unmasking those behind ALUKO’s impeachment plot: Prince Akpabio, Oliver Ebong fingered

By Moses Tom

The Essien Udim Local Government Chairman, Hon. Anthony Luke Udo popularly known as ALUKO, is walking a tight rope as the area has again been submerged in another serious crisis ahead of 2023 general elections.

While the area is still struggling to recover from the aftermath of the security breach occasioned by IPOB invasion and attack on security formations, some bigwigs in Essien Udim are wrestling power and control of resources from the sitting council chairman, a situation many fear may result in the worst security breach in the area.

Already eight (8), out of 13 councilors in Essien Udim Legislative Council, who called themselves C8, have moved to petition and impeach the council chairman, accusing the council chairman of gross misconduct and financial misappropriation after an attempt to impeach the Leader of the Legislative Council without notice failed.

The crisis saw the C8, in connival of the Sergeant at Arm, smuggling away the Mace, the symbol of authority of the Legislative Council.

The move was to eliminate the House Leader, Hon. (Mr) Mary Charles, whom they consider unwilling to compromise her loyalty to the council chairman, before initiating impeachment plot against ALUKO.

The matter is already with the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

A source in the council told this reporter that the whole exercise was sponsored, describing it as “the hands of Esau but voice of Jacob” in the whole saga.

“Though some of the councilors have been complaining (that) the chairman is yet to pay them furniture allowance, they would not garner such effrontery to challenge the chairman without somebody beating the drum for them because they know such payment is subject to availability of fund and the chairman had already paid most of them so far. Besides, those matters are minor things that can be sorted out among them without going outside but since their sponsors see this as an opportunity they were waiting for they could not wait but catch in,” the source posited.

Investigation has revealed that the current crisis is being fueled by two strong politicians in the area, among whom is the PDP House of Assembly Candidate for Essien Udim, Barr. Prince Akpabio and the Deputy Caucus Leader, Essien Udim, a money-bag and very influential power fixer in the area, Engr. Oliver Ebong.

The duo are allegedly aggrieved with ALUKO for refusing to do their biddings and constituting himself a cog in the wheel of their political scheming and ambition.

Sources in the area confirmed that Engr. Oliver Ebong had, by way of controlling and checkmating the council chairman, nominated the present Secretary of Essien Udim Local Government Council and many others in the administration which the Chairman.

But problem started barely three months into the chairman’s administration when the money-bag invited the chairman to a private meeting few weeks before the security crisis in Essien Udim and demanded that the chairman should relinquish his position for his younger brother, a Port Harcourt- based lawyer and declared for Essien Udim State Constituency seat in 2023.

Sources told this reporter that ALUKO turned down the offer on the grounds that it would be wrong for him to declare for another office even when he had not even settled down in office and achieve anything as a local government chairman.

ALUKO’s refusal to do the bidding of Engr. Oliver Ebong did not go down well with his friend who drew the battle line with his political son and vowed to destabilise his administration.

Sources said after the meeting between the Chairman and his political friend problem started in the council as he (Engr. Oliver Ebong) from time to time mobilised his agents in the administration to always undermine the Chairman.

It was learnt that during the pre-PDP primary for House of Assembly, Engr. Oliver Ebong, who is from a different ward (Adiasim Ward) with the Chairman (Okon Ward), sponsored an aspirant to the State House of Assembly in ALUKO’s Ward in other to frustrate the Chairman’s chances for a second term while the Chairman stood his grounds to ensure that the immediate past Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Prince Ukpong Akpabio emergd the flag-bearer of the party.

“So, it was when his plans couldn’t work out that he (Engr. Oliver Ebong) began to mobilize and sponsor his own councilor and others to ensure the removal of the Chairman by all means.

“This is no secret, this man has always boasted and vowed that the same way he helped the Chairman to emerge that he will also kick him out the same way. How will he kick the chairman out? That is what is happening in Essien Udim. These eight councilors are only dancing to the tune of those who are beating the drums for them.

“The chairman came into office with energy to leave impact but these men won’t allow him. ALUKO would have been the best Chairman Essien Udim ever had but you see this wicked men won’t let him achieve anything,” a source narrated.

It was also gathered that Engr. Oliver Ebong is not alone in the whole dirty business and could not succeed without winning the heart of the Chairman’s close political allies, friends, and confidants to his side.

Sources who chose to remain anonymous described what is happening to the Chairman as “betrayal of the Century” but stated that he is not surprised as the person involve is a “serial and heartless betrayer.

“If this person could betray his brother, the same man who picked him up and made him the mega he is always proud to answer today, who is ALUKO? That’s why I’m not surprised and won’t be surprised if he succeeds in his wicked mission against his political friend,” the source explained.

He further stated that Prince Akpabio came into the matter because of greed and his long term quest to control power and funds in Essien Udim.

“Prince wants to be the only cock to crow in Essien Udim. He saw ALUKO’s emergence as the Local Government Chairman as a threat to his inordinate quest to control Essien Udim haven eliminated his uncle, Senator Godswil Akpabio, who before now was the alpha and omega in Essien Udim. So, Prince (Akpabio) though appeared to be supporting his friend (ALUKO) only did that because he knew he had no option since the governor (Mr. Udom Emmanuel) had already decided to give the ticket to ALUKO. Prince was just waiting for a moment like this to strike and eliminate ALUKO from the number seat of the land,” he explained.

The source revealed that Oliver Ebong before now was the major financier and sponsor of Barr. Imo-owo Okpokpo’s (from Okon Ward) aspiration to Essien Udim State Constituency seat but since that did not work out, he quickly reconciled with the same Prince Akpabio who is now the flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Essien Udim State Constituency and decided to sponsor his campaigns only if he can help him achieve his mission of removing ALUKO from office or ruin his chances to return for a second term as local government chairman to give his brother chance to emerge as chairman.

Another source who is one of the petitioners (a councilor) confirmed to our correspondent that Oliver Ebong is the financier of the whole impeachment plot against the Chairman through Prince Akpabio and his political ally, Prince Nsini Umana who is Governor Emmanuel’s aide on project monitoring as part of the deal for Oliver to fund Akpabio’s campaigns.

Just as he did to ALUKO, Oliver Ebong, it was gathered, will never stake his money on a project he does not have interest in and so they struck a deal having allegedly reconciled.

Youth Caucus Intervention

Although Prince Akpabio had denied sponsoring impeachment plot against ALUKO, a source, who was among the youths who visited Prince Akpabio recently to broker peace, said the PDP House of Assembly Candidate for Essien Udim had admitted that he is not happy with the chairman who, according to him, has not done what he promised him.
Akpabio claimed Aluko had promised to renovate the dilapidated council hall (which he holds so dear) built by his father, Late Senator Justice Nsima Akpabio when he was the council’s administrator, but decided to initiate his own project and also made arrangements to pay students bursary.

Some sources close to the House of Assembly hopeful confided on this reporter that he is very determined to destroy his “friend”, Aluko and is also ready to employ every available asernals to achieve his devilish aims including blackmail.

“It may sound unbelievable considering the fact that Prince and Aluko are long time friends but I can tell you for free that Mega does not joke with power…for him not even friendship or blood relationship can stand on his way to gain power and control people. In fact, Prince can do anything for power. So, you see this matter, he will not succumb until his friend is down.

Essien Udim Caucus

Though the matter is already with the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, it was learnt that the Essien Udim PDP Caucus, which Chief M. A. Afangideh is the Chairman and Engr Oliver Ebong as deputy, met with the aggrieved councilllors.

Although the caucus chairman, Chief M. A. Afangideh, blamed the C8 for taking the matter outside their domain without consulting the Caucus and expressed readiness to wade into the matter, a source noted that it is not clear if they can achieve amicable resolution.

The source is afraid that the Chairman, Hon Anthony Luke matter may not be treated with fairness by the Caucus which he said had 99 percent of the members who are against the chairman whom they accused of not carrying them along in his administration by sharing money to them.

“Some of these caucus members are those who were waiting for the chairman to fall. Some of them didn’t support him from the beginning’, so this may be an opportunity for some of them to bring the chairman down.

“It is rather so unfortunate for him because this same Aluko they are all fighting has sacrificed a whole lot for all of them and political growth in Essien Udim and Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and the state in general. One will think that his chairmanship is supposed to be a compensation for loyalty and sacrifice to the party but the reverse is the case. Since, inception of office, it has been from one crisis to another in Essien Udim fueled by some of these Caucus members.

Another youth in Essien Udim who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the youth of Essien Udim will not fold their arms and watch anyone or group of people ferment another crisis in the council and local government area generally. “We will resist any attempt to bring ALUKO down,” he said.
………..
The Crisis and 2023 election:

Investigations has already revealed that the lingering crisis has a lot to do with 2023 elections and aftermath of election. A source in Essien Udim told our Reporter that the reason these political heavyweight are rising against the Anthony Luke now is to blackmail him out of the 2023 sharing formula.

“These guys know what they are doing, they know very well that Aluko is a force to reckon with and he has connections across. In fact, they know very well that Aluko will have upper hands in the next administration should Pastor Umo Eno emerge as Udom successor, so the game plan is to ensure that Aluko is out even before election so that after elections he would have become a forgotten matter and they grab power in Essien Udim we know these guys and their antics.
So far some of them have started blackmailing the Chairman before the governorship candidate by painting him black before the governorship candidate that he does not release money for Pastor Umo Eno’s campaigns in Essien Udim which is a lie from the pit of hell.

Development of Essien Udim
It was gathered that the council Chairman was determine from the beginning to leave a legacy in the council as a chairman as he started very well in the first 100 days in his administration.
Some sources in the council said that the chairman said though the chairman met huge debt left by the previous administration he was able to buy 6 vehicles for official use in the council as the council did not have any vehicle for her officials.
The said, “The previous administration sold almost 19 vehicles both serviceanle and unserviceables vehicles belongings to the council before leaving office. The former chairman also sold the 3 of the council generating sets belong to the council, one of them was 300Kva that was meant for the security village in the area. He also left a huge debt amounting upto 40 million naira. So, Aluko when came in and started everything in the council from zero before the crisis in early 2021. He bought 6 vehicles, bought generating set for the army at the boundary and two motorcycles for police in the area. All these, he did within the first 100 days in office and was still doing more before the crisis erupted in the area which displace some people. He showed capacity and leadership during the crisis despite blackmail by some elders and campaign of calumny aiming at suspending the chairman during the crisis but he stood his grounds and ensure the crisis is resolved, the source noted.

He maintained that the currently crisis may not be unconnected with the Chairman’s plan to pay bursary to students in the area.

It will be recalled that the chairman announced payment of bursary to Essien Udim students in December before the councilors started this crisis and accused the chairman of planning to expend council money to pay bursary without paying all of the wardrope allowance though the chairman has paid 7 of them so far and was still paying them in batches according to the source.

He added, ” As you can see, the whole crisis is well calculated attempt to ensure that Aluko does not leave any legacy behind at the end of his tenure in 2023. As Prince Akpabio told some youths, that the chairman should not do any project unless he renovate the council hall built by his father. That means, they are not happy that Aluko is trying to leave a legacy in the council. It should be about them and only them. Essien Udim money shouldn’t be used for the benefit of the people but should be shared to them alone.”