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HomeInterviewsSpecial ReportHELL BREAKS LOOSE AS AKHA SPEAKER DECLARES SEATS OF 5 LAWMAKERS VACANT

HELL BREAKS LOOSE AS AKHA SPEAKER DECLARES SEATS OF 5 LAWMAKERS VACANT

BY Augustine AKPAN

 

The day began with a tension-soaked Press Release issued by the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Comrade Ini Ememobong, apparently confirming rumours flying across social media platforms that the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly had obtained ‘order from above’ to convene an emergency plenary of the house by 10 O’Clock this morning with the sole aim of officially declaring vacant, the seat of Member representing Itu State Constituency, Hon Idong Ituen in accordance with the ruling of the Federal High Court that sat in Uyo last Wednesday.

 

With the content of Comrade Ememobong’s release couched “Plans to attack the Akwa Ibom state house of assembly uncovered” confirming beyond reasonable doubt what the motive behind the emergency plenary was, the social media space was already buzzing with reactions and counter reactions by both supporters of the two major political parties in the state (i.e the PDP and APC).

 

For those supporting Hon Idong Ituen, the fact that the PDP publicity Secretary was the one raising the alarm of an imaginary attack and other petty allegations was a confirmation that the PDP-led government having learnt that Ituen had obtained a stay of execution order to stop the Speaker from declaring his seat vacant decided to resort to raising false alarm by convening an emergency plenary to carryout their plan early enough before the court order arrive the Assembly.

 

Away from the social media bickering, as at 7:00a.m today, hundreds of Akwa Ibom youth had taken over the entrance of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly complex at Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo, the State Capital on a peaceful protest, blocking both the main entrance and the VIP exit.

 

On learning about the protest, the Speaker of the house, Rt Hon Onofiok Luke reportedly stormed the protest scene at about 7.30a.m in an attempt to quell it.

 

But on arriving the scene, the protesting youth denied him both audience and access to the premises of the complex, a journalist friend who was on ground early enough told this reporter.

 

According to him, it only took the efforts of the policemen on ground and his security backup team to whisk him (Onofiok)  into the premises to safety.

 

After failed attempts to have audience with the protesting youth who were still chanting “we no go gree, we no go gree” the Speaker out of frustration shouted back at the youth for denying him the opportunity to address them and decided to leave the scene.

 

As tension and tempers flare effortlessly, the Speaker was however whisked out of the complex by his security aides to avoid further attack on his vehicle as one of the protesters had already started hurling stones towards the vehicle that conveyed him.

 

Letting the hell loose

 

Even after the Speaker had left by which time this reporter had arrived the protest ground, the protesters remained adamant on laying besiege on the entrance of the Assembly Complex.

 

Movement into the complex was restricted. Only staff of the Assembly were allowed in by the policemen who mounted the gate.

 

The Drama

 

As at 9:40a.m, the protesting youth were still barricading the entrance of the Assembly complex with nothing else but their bodies.

 

But suddenly, the policemen started cordoning off the entrance of the Assembly complex and instructing that no one should step down from the pedestrian walkway.

 

As soon as the youth obeyed the order, in a nanoseconds, a white Hilux vehicle approached from Edet Akpan Avenue heading straight to the AKHA complex gate. And behold, the Hilux was leading the Speaker’s convoy and eleven members of the house to the Assembly.

 

Before the protesters could attempt halting the convoy, half of vehicles forming it had already made their way to the complex. The security backup team attached to the Speaker would not take any of that as they shot sporadically into the air to scare the protesters. Behold the gate was shut against the protesters and virtually everybody including members of the press, except very few persons like this reporter lucky enough to be allowed in.

 

Commotion in the house

 

After successful beating all the security checkpoints manned by heavily armed security operatives, this reporter alongside few colleagues finally made it way to the hallowed chambers that the chaos had robbed it of its hallow.

 

The Speaker, Rt Hon Onofiok Luke had taken his seat, said the ritual opening prayers and proceeded with declaring the plenary open.

 

Just as the Speaker had finished informing the house that they had a message from the governor and other urgent matters that necessitated the emergency plenary, commotion started in the house.

 

As the noise of broken glass door/windows within the premises of the complex penetrated the chamber, the 12 lawmakers became visibly panicky.

 

As the lawmakers saw Idong Ituen struggling to make his way to the house, the Sergeant at Arm was mandated to whisk out the mace, the House symbol of authority to safety.

 

At this point, Ituen had made his way to the door that led to the chambers albeit being seriously manhandled and teargassed by security personnel that manned the entrance of the house chamber.

 

 

Having one of his feet inside the chamber and the other outside as at the time the security operatives trapped him with the door leading to the chamber, it took the combined efforts of security personnel who were inside to drag him out like a common criminal punching him with the butt of their guns leaving his milky colour blazer tainted with blood.

 

As soon as Ituen was dragged out, Speaker Luke ordered the Sergeant at Arm to bring back the mace.

 

With virtually everybody member and everyone inside the hall gasping for breathe and coughing uncontrollably due to the effect of the teargas pumped on Idong Ituen, the Speaker of the house with an unbelievable alacrity proceeded with the agenda of the day.

 

Reading the order from the High Court asking the house to declare Idong Ituen’s seat vacant, Speaker Luke who had earlier issued a statement that he will abide by the court order called for a motion to declare the seat vacant.

 

The motion was moved by Hon Aniekan Uko, member representing Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency and seconded by Hon Otobong Jonathan, member representing Ukanafun State Constituency.

 

Adopting the motion so moved to declare Ituen’s seat vacant, Rt Hon Onofiok Luke also quoted relevant sections of the constitution to also declare vacant the seats of four other lawmakers(Hon Otobong Ndem -Mkpat Enin, Hon Gabriel Toby – Etim Ekpo/Ika, Hon Nse Ntuen – Essien Udim,  Hon Victor Udofia – Ikono) who recently defected from PDP to APC.

 

Shortly after declaring the listed lawmakers seat vacant, the plenary was however brought to an end as the Speaker only read the letter from the Governor asking that either Akwa Ibom State University or Akwa Ibom International Airport be named after Obong Victor Attah as he marks his 80th birthday on November 20, 2018.

 

The house did not however deliberate on the proposal.

 

Members were seen hailing the Speaker immediately after the plenary that lasted less than 10 minutes.

 

Among members that attended the plenary include: Hon Nse Essien (Onna) Hon Idongesit Ntekpere (Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara), Hon Aniefiok Dennis (Etinan) Hon Friday Iwok (Abak) Hon Otobong Jonathan(Ukanafun) Hon Aniekan Uko (Ibesikpo Asutan) Hon David Lawrence (Eket) Hon Felicia Bassey (Urue offong Oruko) Hon Mark Esset (Nsit Atai), Hon Usoro Akpanuso (Esit Eket/Ibeno) Hon Emmanuel Ekpenyong (Ini) and the Speaker of the house, Rt Hon Onofiok Luke (Nsit Ubium).

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