Uyo LGC crisis: LG Commissioner lampoons council boss over abuse of office Peace appears far insight in the crisis bedeviling Uyo local government council as the Akwa Ibom state commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Adasi Ubolum, we learnt, last week, berated the council chairman, Hon. Ekerete Ekpenyong over his roles in the face-off among the council councilors. The Radar gathered that following the protracted crisis in Uyo Legislative Chambers which has tremendously dampened the progress of Ekerete Ekpenyong’s administration in the council, the Local Government commissioner acting on the strength of flooded petitions he received from on the ripples, summoned a peace meeting at his Wellington Way’s office of the ministry. The meeting, we reliably learnt, had in attendance, the council chairman, vice chairman, secretary of council, the 11 councilors, clerk of the House, and Sergeant-at-Arm. According to our insider sources, the commissioner on listening to all sides in the disputes reportedly faulted the steps taken so far by the council boss to resolve the conflicts, pointing out that it was wrong for the council’s helmsman to have locked up the offices of the councilors. Ubolum observed that Ekpenyong has no constitutional rights to approve the recess of the council lawmakers because the legislature is a separate entity from the executive, adding that the state governor does not approve the recess of the house of assembly members, our sources at the meeting disclosed. The commissioner who is also a former state lawmaker “advised the council chairman to sincerely seek for peace and reconciliation among the 11 councilors and take steps that will promote peace and respect for separation of powers between the executive and legislature at the local government council. He told both factions in the disputes to sheathe their swords, and allow peace to reign at the council. He directed Ekerete Ekponyong to go and withdraw the court case and report back to him,” our sources hinted. According to our sources who pleaded anonymity, the LG commissioner lampooned the chairman after “the councilors accused the chairman of locking up their offices and took the keys to United States of America, which, the chairman said he acted based on security reports that, ‘there was crisis among the councilors.’ The councilors also told the commissioner that they ‘never sat to pass the 2013 budget of the local government area and any bye-law for the local government, as against the claims of the chairman that they (councilors) had passed the council’s budget and 17 bye-laws.’ “Adasi Ubolum became more furious with Ekerete Ekpenyong when he (chairman) said that he had approved application of the councilors to go on a two-month recess starting July 24, 2013,” our sources added. It would be recalled that the councilors had on July 23, 2013 allegedly changed their leadership and notified the council boss of the development through a letter titled: “Notification for the change of Leadership in Uyo Legislative Council”; dated; “24th July, 2013”; and signed by Hon. Ini Patrick and Hon. Churchill Amos as the House leader and deputy leader respectively, our investigations reveal. In the same vein, the councilors fired a petition to the chairman of the Local Government Service Commission on July 24, 2013, against the clerk of the legislative house, Mr. Etim Mfon, accusing him of “partisan involvement in conducting his function in the council”. This was signed by Hon. Unwana Young, Hon. Ini Patrick and Hon. Churchill Amos, of which, the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs ministry was copied, our checks show. A twist was however introduced into the crisis as the leader of the aggrieved councilors, Hon. Unwana Young, petitioned the state commissioner of police, on July 25, 2013; alleging; “Serious Threat to life by the Chairman, Uyo Local Government Area, Hon. Ekerete Ekpenyong,” according to our checks. On July 30, 2013, the aggrieved councilors wrote another letter to the council chairman; “Notification of Intrusion into the Legislative Right and Functions”, saying; “we have noticed that you are meddling into the affairs of the legislature, we want to overtly bring to your knowledge of the doctrine of separation of power in the democratic government,” our finding shows. The embattled council boss was to later reply the councilors’ letter in a letter dated; “1st August, 2013”; titled; “Desist from False Claims and Wrong Procedures”, which was addressed to Hon. Churchill Amos and Hon. Ini Patrick, House leader and deputy leader, respectively. The letter reads in part; “I received your letter dated 24th July, 2013, in which you made claims of change of leadership in Uyo Legislative council on the 23rd July, 2013. “Second, I am fully aware that there was no legislative sitting on the 23rd July, 2013, as claimed by you. There is no evidence anywhere that you had a sitting in the council… “Fourth, I am fully aware that there was sitting of the legislative council on the 24th July. 2013, in which the 2013 budget and the 17 Nos. of Uyo local government council bye-laws were duly passed... “Fifth, I was also officially notified of the resolution of the house to proceed on a two-month recess. On an application to my office for approval, I accordingly granted the request. A copy each of the application and approval is herewith attached,” the embattled council boss had replied the aggrieved councilors. Efforts made by this paper to get the reaction of the council boss before press time proved abortive.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 21:18:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015