On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, a faceless group with the name Akwa Ibom Conscience for Good Governance, in an advertorial published in THE INK newspaper, tried to spite the Commissioner for Finance Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Akan Okon, in a malicious piece.
Ordinarily, there would be no basis to join issues with the faceless group, but the lies put forward against the Commissioner, and the threat dished out against him demands we arise to this occasion.
For the record, in the advertorial, one Chief Effiong Udo Ukpong, President of the faceless group and Barr. Nelson Akpadiaha, the Secretary threw threats at Mr. Akan Okon. Part of the piece read "Bring the money of the State and empower people and stop engaging in profitless exercises...we will soon pound on you".
The authors of that rambling open letter alleged that Mr. Akan Okon was "fraternizing with agents of APC to sponsor petitions against Senator Godswill Akpabio, and was releasing official documents of the past administration to APC agents in order to prosecute Senator Godswill Akpabio".
We have carefully looked at the range of sponsored attacks on the Finance Commissioner by different faceless groups these past months, and have placed these allegations and vituperations side-by-side with the lifestyle and character of Mr. Akan Okon. In the end we are of the conclusion that these are just bare-faced acts of hatred targeted at intimidating and distracting him from his responsibilities.
We know that a man of Akan Okon's stature will never be intimidated by these miscreants. However, the threat dished out by the President and Secretary of the group threat that they will "pound" Mr. Akan Okon if he failed to bring the money of the State to share with them, is criminal and must be investigated. As law-abiding citizens who believe in the present administration, we pray the Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel to order a full-scale investigation into this threat in line with his recent pledge that his administration with deal decisively with any person who takes to crime when government is trying to march the State into prosperity. We will not fold our arms and watch anyone squeeze life out of any of our sons.
Furthermore, it is unthinkable for anyone to assume that Mr. Akan Okon was fraternizing with members of the opposition party, the APC. We can vouch that Mr. Akan Okon is a very committed member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on whose platform he was appointed to serve as Commissioner for Finance under the last and the current administration. He has demonstrated this love and commitment to his party at different fora including the last general elections, party congresses and his daily interactions with members of the party in his local government and elsewhere. Hence, he would not either as a person or by proxy indulge in any form of anti-party activity.
Mr. Akan Okon has never been linked to any form of sharp practices or double standards throughout his years in the private sector. He was an appointee who served diligently in the Godswill Akpabio's administration, as such, Mr. Akan Okon would not contemplate divulging any piece of information or leaking any document so classified as official secret kept in his custody to anyone, worse still, an opponent. The reckless attempt by the group to plead otherwise is aimed at stirring up suspicion and conflict within the system. The motive of this in our consideration is to strain the relationship of not just Mr. Akan Okon but Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Godswill Akpabio. We urge the public to discount this allegation.
Again, Mr. Akan Okon has found contentment in the modest achievements he has made by God's grace and does not harbour any grouse or bitterness against the Akpabio's family or its legacy. The lurid sentiments whipped up in the advertorial to suggest that there is a rift between Mr. Akan Okon and the distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio is a ploy aimed at brewing up hatred between the two families.
The finance commissioner's utmost interest is to support his boss, Governor Udom Emmanuel to implement his industrialisation programme for Akwa Ibom people. Achieving this vision together with his boss the governor and Akwa Ibom people is what Mr. Akan Okon is looking for.
We advise the sponsors and the implementers of this criminal rampage on Mr. Akan Okon to withdraw forthwith for the development, peace, and progress of the State. If supporters of others persons join the fray in like manner to make unfounded allegations as done by the faceless Akwa Ibom Conscience for Good Governance, the ship of politics and governance in the State will wreck.
Signed:
Joseph Edet Ita. - National President
Cletus Essah. - National Secretary
0 comments :
Post a Comment