The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk says he does not harbour any plan to scuttle the current leadership of the House of Assembly led by Barr. Onofiok Luke as reported in local tabloids of Tuesday 23, and Wednesday 24 February, 2016.The media aide to the Commissioner Mr. Abasifreke Effiong in a release said statements credited to Prince Uwem Ita Etuk and the Accountant General of the State, Mr. Linus Nkan in the news story are false.
The release says neither the Commissioner Prince Uwem Ita Etuk nor the Accountant General Mr. Linus Nkan has ever made a statement that could make a mockery of the leadership style of the Governor, Udom Emmanuel.
The release read in part: “the attention of the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, and political leader of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk has been drawn to a news story with the headline ‘Accountant General, Uwem Ita Etuk mock UGE’ and two riders reading ‘Say Governor still under Akpabio’s cage’, ‘Linus Nkan vows to replace Onofiok Luke with Aniekan Uko as AKHA Speaker’; published on local tabloids of Tuesday February 26, 2016, and also served up on blogs on the internet”.
“The report alleged that Prince Uwem Ita Etuk is conspiring with the Accountant General of the State, Mr. Linus Nkan, to use Elder Aniekan Uko to scuttle the leadership of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as presently constituted”.
“In the report, the anonymous news scavenger claimed that Prince Uwem Ita Etuk and Mr. Linus Nkan during a campaign for the Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency rerun election at Ikot Nkim, “vowed to capitalise on the inability of the Governor to take charge of the State by ensuring that they take over (sic) control of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly”.
“Statements in the report credited to Prince Uwem Ita Etuk and Mr. Linus Nkan are false”.
“Prince Uwem Ita Etuk is a loyal member of the Peoples Democratic Party who has deep respect for leadership and supremacy of the Party, and would not harbour a hate for the Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel; or kick- up or support any action that could be a snag to the rebuilding of the Party”.
“Very important, stakeholders, members and supporters of the PDP in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area have fully recovered from the unsettling judgment of the Appeal Court which ordered a rerun election for Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency seat”.
“Prince Uwem Ita Etuk does not want to be distracted. He is focused on the responsibilities of his office, and mobilizing supports for his Party’s candidate, Elder Aniekan Uko, ahead of the March 12, 2016 rerun election”, the release read.
