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Ukanafun Boils
...As State PDP Chairman sidelines Political leader
...Corners political appointments to himself, kinsmen
... Jetisons zoning system
The political temperature of Ukanafun Local Government Area under Peoples Democratic Party is almost reaching a breaking point following selfish but egocentric activities of the state PDP Chairman, Aniekan Akpan.
Akpan who is an Elder of United Evangelical Church is completing the tenure of Obong Udo Ekpenyong who died in January 2022.
Akpan who is a cousin to the late Obong Ekpenyong also hails from Ikot Okusung in Ukanafun LGA.
Since assumption of office as the state chairman of the party, Akpan is alleged to have been showing contempt and ignoring the party's hierarchy in terms of zoning arrangement between Afaha and Ukanafun, the two dominant political blocs in the area.
An anonymous PDP member confided in Ibom Nation that when the tenure of elected Chairman and Councillors ended in December 2023, some stalwarts were mandated to nominate persons for the office of transition chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary.
According to the source, Akpan singlehandedly nominated Transition Chairman from Southern Ukanafun, Vice Chairman from Southern Ukanafun and Secretary from Northern Ukanafun, thus jettisoning the zoning formula of the area.
"Akpan pretended to have consulted Eno Akpan, the political Leader in the area, but he hookwinked him, went solo and nominated the officers," the source hinted the newspaper.
Again, Akwa Ibom Governor Pastor Umo Eno had asked for nomination of Personal Assistants for the 13 electoral wards in the area.
The source said the State PDP boss alone picked and imposed PAs from 11 wards without any input from any known PDP leader, except allowing Obong Eno Akpan, Ukanafun political Leader and Obong Saturday Akpan, Akwa Ibom Local Government Service Commissioner to have picked the remaining two for their wards.
The source was more bitter on how the PDP Chairman dissolved and appointed Youth Central Chairman without consultation with any leader and in defiance of governor's order.
The Central Youth Chairman, according to him, comes from his village, Ikot Okusung, thus dethroning the youth leader from Afaha.
"The governor had instructed that no local government should dissolve the Youth Committee since the leaders went with him to the trenches during the governorship election in February 2023 and came out victorious.
"Yet, Akpan defied the governor's directive, dissolved the committee led by Iboro Idungafa Ubom from Afaha and appointed and swore in Imekan Monday Ben from his village in Ukanafun political bloc," the PDP member bemoaned.
Apart from these misdemeanors, Aniekan Akpan is accused of hijacking Ward Congress Committee in the area.
"How can the State PDP Chairman impose himself as the Chairman of the Ward Congress Committee without any input from anybody? How can Akpan appoint Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, his cousin from Ikot Okusung, as the Secretary, whereas a member of House of Representatives or his counterpart in the State House of Assembly is supposed to serve as either Chairman or Secretary of the committee? How can he appoint another still from Ukanafun into the committee, not Afaha?" the party man queried.
Worst still, Akpan is alleged to have singlehandedly dumped the decision of Ukanafun political leaders in the siting of a project in the area as directed by the Governor.
"The governor had asked us to choose one project to be sited in the area and its location. Our leaders agreed, wrote and signed a letter that Akpan Assiek market be turned to a model market, as the project for the area.
"We delivered the signed letter to Akpan for onward submission to the state governor. But along the line, he upturned the decision on the agreed project by siting it in his village, Ikot Okusung," the man lamented.
Moreso, on the resource person for youth job, he picked the two nominees from Northern Ukanafun, of which one is his cousin, Daniel Sunday Akpan, while the second person is currently a serving PA on Youth Matters, Etini Akpaneyen.
"I can vouch that Akpan is not a true party man. He lacks the esprit de corps in building the party and welding cracks to avoid the party losing in the forthcoming elections.
"For instance, he went and discharged an ex-convict from Ikot Ekpene Correctional Centre for his mischievous plot to fight and drown dissenting voices in the party in the area.
"Moreover, he has caused an APC kingpin and a one-time Transition Chairman in the area to return to the party. During official functions in the area, he ensures that they occupy front row seats and are usually recognized contrary to the established protocol list of the area.
"Who is Aniekan Akpan fighting with in the party? Are PDP members not his brethren that he is doing everything to muscle even the loyal members in the party for his whims? Why is he creating unhealthy rivalry and divisions in the one united and harmonious party?"
"At the moment, he is strategising to pick and impose a stooge as a local government Chairman together with Councillors in a politically enlightened area. Will others from other political parties stand and watch his inefficient leadership borne by selfish interest to produce council's helmsmen?" the PDP strongman in the area asked.
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