Abak LG Election: Former Deputy Governor, stakeholders oppose endorsement of Ekerette Inyang for third term
The controversial endorsement of Hon. Ekerette Inyang, from Afaha Obong Clan, for another term as Chairman of Abak Local Government Area has sparked opposition from various stakeholders, including former Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, and former House of Representatives Member, Hon. Aniekan Umanah.
The endorsement, allegedly made by Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, has brought forth concerns of political victimization within the Midim clan.
In response to the endorsement, stakeholders, which also included Managing Director of APICO Barr. Patrick Udomfang, sent a rejection letter to the State Chairman of PDP, Elder Aniekan Akpan, distancing themselves from the alleged zoning Committee announced by the Caretaker Chapter Chairman of PDP in Abak, Ben Ebong.
They criticized the Committee as a ‘kangaroo’ setup aimed at justifying corruption and manipulation, and called for the State Chairman of the PDP to intervene and prevent a continuation of the Chairmanship slot in Afaha Obong Clan for 12 years.
The stakeholders argued that allowing Ekerette Inyang to contest again would be unfair to the Midim people, who have long been marginalized in the Abak Chairmanship position.
They emphasized the importance of respecting the zoning arrangement based on clans in Abak Local Government Area for the sake of justice, equity, and fairness.
Since taking on the position of Council Chairman in 2020, Hon. Ekerete Inyang has been accused of withholding internally generated revenue (IGR) from the people of Abak, and he is said to have failed to deposit the funds into the Council’s accounts.
It is alleged that Inyang regularly receives large sums of money from various sources in Abak, including N3 million from each bank for tenement fees, N3 million from petrol stations weekly, and nearly N3 million from market days in Abak alone.
Additional income from Abak Council area reportedly comes from collecting around one million from hotels, over five hundred thousand from private schools, and extensive funds from haulage, mini buses, Keke, and motorcycles.
Despite these substantial sources of revenue, the Chairman allegedly declares only a fraction, between eight hundred thousand to N1 million each month.
There are questions surrounding the whereabouts of funds generated from property sales and document regularization in Abak, such as the sale of government land to Tilapia Resort, a popular relaxation spot in the area, for almost N60 million.
Concerns have also been raised about the Chairman’s use of public funds for personal gain, including completing his own house and importing furniture from Turkey using Abak’s money.
Allegations of corruption against Hon. Inyang have extended to bribery of elders and officials to secure his position for another term, leading to calls for an audit by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practics and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the alleged misappropriation of funds by Ekerete Inyang.
“The people of Abak are demanding accountability and justice for the mismanagement of their common wealth”, said an insider who preferred to be anonymous for fear of attack.
