IS AKPANUDOEDEHE A GUN RUNNER?

Another paid advertorial from the state cover posted by our usual cull and paste arm-chair journalist in disguise -Rose by any other name can still smell as sweet. When the subject matter by the petitioner is "Treat To National Security" this double-face, arm chair journalist has carved a different subject to seek his attention by asking "Is Akpaudoedehe A Gunner Runner?" to rubbish the Senator without any shred of evidence.

Last February Gov. Akpabio without any shred of evidence accused Sen. J. J. Udoedehe of raising the spate of kidnapping in the state and till date Akpabio has not presented any evidence of that accusation to the public and I do not doubt this is another one of the tricks he pulls from his back pocket. Engr. Ebiye rushed a petition to the president when we're still waiting for a report of the investigation "the state Commissioner for Information and Re-Orientation, Mr Aniekan Umanah, charged the security agencies to investigate the allegation." While investigation is still going on to ascertain who imported guns into Lagos port, Engr. Ebiye has chosen to jump ahead of himself without any concrete proof to tie Sen. Udoedehe up with the seized guns. He's also chosen to be selective in his petition about an allegation of thuggery and intentionally keep away from his petition prominent incidents of thuggery master-minded by Akpabio administration and his supporters in the state.

Any serious minded person against the use of thuggery must do so impressively irrespective of who the candidate is. When Akpabio's para-military Aduma force laid ambush in Oron expecting Udoedehe's supporters to run into it during the funeral event of Chief Emenyi last March, why has Engr. Ebiye not articulated this as part of the problem and the 40 thugs in two Hiace vans sponsored by Akpabio campaign that surprised Mrs. Justina Udoedehe in her home town and leveled canopies, chairs and tables at the event in her village? Or were these not acts of thuggery and the petitioner wants us to believe what is good for the goose is not good for the gander so to say. Over two years ago some containers were seized in Port and creeks of Calabar till date we have no idea who were behind them. An air cargo was intercepted after landing in Kano or Kaduna airport, till date we don't know who are behind them and many other instances. If Ebiye is serious about this problem, why not bring these examples to the attention of the president to show its general nature?

I condemn any candidate who employs thuggery, cult groups and intimidation in attempt to win election irrespective of who the candidate is. Sen. Udoedehe has "denied the allegation, calling it “a rumour which was motivated by politics of bad blood,” adding that he had never been associated with the evil of using thugs against his opponents." But this petitioner thinks that was not enough, that he cannot approve of the
Senator's innocence because he did not deny the allegation the way that suits his taste and not instituting a law suit against the Tribune who published the initial allegation. Such are the tests for innocence by this jaundiced petitioner who wants the president to "note that the actions of these set of politicians who see political power as a do or die are indicators that they must have grown up at the Motor Parks. The hallmark for politicians that grew up in the parks is that it makes their brains go to bed with them in their myopic quest and selfish definition of power." Are you now in doubt where this is coming from? And President Jonathan after reading that would take Engr. Ebiye's trash and crap serious?

I have often stated that those who defend and support Akpabio administration ofter do more damage to the image of his administration than the so-called critics. This petition was intended to white-wash Akpabio administration and make him a saint and for Sen. Udoedehe to look bad but it ended up accusing Akpabio of all the criminal atrocities in the state, by implication. Four years ago this time, when OBJ and IG Mike Okiro imported guns and handed them to PDP thugs everywhere Asuquo Essien was the lead preacher against it and warned of the consequences where the guns are left in the hands of the thugs when election was over. Engr. Ebiye statement in his petition has confirmed exactly that: "Your Excellency, you know as well as very many well meaning Nigerians do, that majority of those who are currently jostling for one office or the other do not have the genuine interest of the common people at heart in their quest for power. But at the end of the day, whether they acquire the power or not, the youth they had trained in arm usage and struggle are dumped, and the resultant effect of that action is the battle against criminals and criminality that we are currently facing all over the country.(kidnapping , armed robbery and general insecurity across the nation)." If you were in doubt before now, you have just been informed where kidnappings in our state come from. And now you know the rest of the story!

Eno Adams
INN/ Hayward, CA