Barely 12 hours after Senator Bassey Albert visited the Akwa Ibom State secretariat of the NUJ, suspected burglars have invaded the secretariat and cart away valuables.
Some of the items reportedly stolen are generating set, television sets used in the union’s viewing centre and other valuables belonging to the union.
Senator Bassey Albert led a group of supporters to the union secretariat on Monday for a press briefing ahead of his Friday’s maiden constituency briefing.
The press conference which was attended by about 300 journalists was stage-managed by the leadership of the union led by Elder Patrick Albert.
Elder Patrick Albert, a two term chairman of the union is also the chairman of the media sub-committee of Senator Bassey Albert’s constituency briefing and empowerment programme.
Journalists who attended the event said despite demand by members, leadership did not allow any journalist to ask questions at the press briefing. The situation has raised great concern about the attitude of leadership at the press conference.
No public officer, not even the Governor has ever had such treatment.
Back channel information has it that the Elder Patrick Albert told the Senator not to take questions because ‘esop ado ke mbuaha’; meaning that there is a fixed multitude.
Our source gathered that Senator Bassey Albert had appealed for support from journalists.
Elder Patrick Albert while responding to this appeal said, if the senator should buy “lace” for journalists, they will all be his.
“Our amiable senator there is a song that says ‘buy me lace, and take me to your house’…let me stop there.(Laughs) I can assure you that now that you have come to see us, be rest assured that we are all yours”, Albert said in an extempore remark.
Meanwhile, there have been controversies in Ibesikpo Asutan and Nsit Ubium over water projects which the senator claimed to have done and went to commission.
According to our source, in Ibesikpo Asutan, it was gathered that youth pelted Senator Bassey Albert’s advance team at Ikot Nkim where the senator went to commission a water project.
“The borehole was dug more than seven years ago by an indigene of Ibesikpo Asutan but we were surprised that the senator sent people to come and pump the water ahead of the commissioning”, a member of Ikot Nkim community told The Guide on phone.
Another mini-water project in Ikot Ekwere executed by Senator Effiong Bob, more than seven years ago was also commissioned by Senator Albert.
Senator Bassey Albert’s claim of the projects has sparked controversies in Ibesikpo Asutan and Nsit Ubium. (Source: THE GUIDE)
