Why Akpabio, Federal Legislators Shunned Community’s Silver Jubilee celebration

High expectations by the Akwa Ibom Community Abuja were dashed last weekend as Governor Godswill Akpabio and lawmakers from both the State and National Assembly, abstained from the Community’s the 25th anniversary and ground breaking of the Ibom Bowl Complex at the Jahi District, in the Federal Capital Territory.

Although the only lawmaker from the state, who rushed in at the dying minutes to attend the event, Senator Etta Enang had tried to calm down the visibly disappointed crowd, explaining that the governor’s absence was due to the late arrival of the invitation, rumours were rife that political considerations was the reason for the governor’s absence.

Senator Enang told the gathering that the governor was on a condolence visit to the Nwodos in Enugu State at the time of the event and had promised to perform the ground breaking of the complex on the 5000 square meters land at a future date.

But a top official of the association said it was a cover up, saying that the President of the association, Engr. Benedict Ukpong, had met the governor one on one to convey the invitation to him who in turn pledged to personally perform the ground breaking of the Ibom Bowl Complex.

A Competent source who pleaded anonymity, disclosed that it was clear that the governor did not want to grace the occasion having avoided three such events organised by the group on the excuse that the Akwa-Ibom Abuja Community was romancing with opposition in the state.

The source further disclosed that the governor had accused the Community of having dealings with the sacked Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Umanah Okon Umanah, who was said to have  tipped the President of the Community in Abuja to run as the Deputy Governor with him on the platform of a popular opposition party in the state in 2015.

Another source, who did not want his name in print, said the governor had shunned the event because of his claim that the community whose members travelled en-masse to vote at last gubernatorial election in the state did not support him when he was gunning for his second term in office.

He stated that the Community was more disappointed because of the huge sums of money they used to organise the event which attracted citizens of the state resident in all parts of the territory only for the governor to dash their hope.
      
All the officials of the community association however, declined to talk to the press as the whole arrangement for the big event turned out to be a failure as the August visitors refused to grace the occasion. Even the event at Sheraton Hotel and Towers did not attract the necessary trappings as the expected guests did not turn up as the State governor did not send any representation from the State.

source. daily times ng