SENATE 2019: OBA SLAMS UWEM ITA ETUK

…Says He Cannot Speak For Uyo Fed Constituency
On the heels of the tension generated by a statement credited to the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Mr Uwem Ita Etuk, the Senator representing Uyo senatorial district in the national assembly, Bassey Albert Akpan (OBA)’s constituency office, has slammed the commissioner, saying he lacks the mandate to speak for the people.
The commissioner had during a maiden constituency briefing by the Member representing Uyo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Michael Enyong, said that the seat of senate would shift from Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency (OBA’s axis) to Uyo Federal Constituency in 2019. But, in a swift reaction, the chairman of OBA’s Constituency Office management committee, Daniel Ukpong Udoh (North-South), in an interaction yesterday, in his Uyo office, said that the statement was unfortunate, because it came out from a commissioner in Governor Udom Emmanuel’s government, noting that Uwem Ita Etuk was merely speaking for himself.
He added that Uwem Etuk was not speaking for Uyo federal constituency or Uyo senatorial district as he has no such mandate.
“We in Uyo senatorial district have not in any way mandated anybody to speak on behalf of the senatorial district on the matter of that magnitude.
“Uwem Ita Etuk was speaking for himself. He was not speaking for the people of Uyo Federal Constituency or the entire people of Uyo senatorial district. Because I am not aware that anybody has been given such mandate to speak, at least, not for now.”
Udoh advised the commissioner to confine himself to issues relating to his achievement in the ministry of Lands and Town Planning and to desist from heating up the polity, warning that such statements by the commissioner if not checked, could create unnecessary distractions for the elected representatives of the people, including the governor.
Uwem Etuk who is the acclaimed political leader of Uyo Federal Constituency had argued that OBA was completing the second-term of Senator Ita Enang in the senate as per the zoning arrangement in the zone, but Daniel Udoh said that there is nothing like zoning in Uyo senatorial district in the senate seat.
“I am not aware of any such zoning arrangement. I have been involved in Uyo senatorial district politics. I was involved during the time of John Udoedehe; I was involved during the time of Effiong Bob; I was involved with Ime Albert; I was involved with Ita Enang and I do know to the best of my knowledge that there is no zoning. Effiong Bob went for two-terms; Ita Enang presented himself for a second- term.
“Like I said, it was left for the people to decide whether they deserved to go back for a second-term or not. Again, I like said, it is absolutely uncalled-for at this moment. When the time comes, the people will determine. And, when it is time for such an issue to be discussed, all the stakeholders will be involved. For now, we should allow peace to reign. We should allow the peoples’ representatives to focus on their assignment.”
He stated that; “we in Uyo senatorial district do not want to go into that issue for now. We also believe that in 2019 anybody that has performed and the party deems it fit for such a person to fly it flag that is what will be. It will be unwise to allow anybody who is not popular to fly any party’s flag. It will be suicide to field an unpopular candidate in the 2019 poll. (Culled from The Radar).