AKWA IBOM APC AND THEIR HABITUAL LIES AND IGNORANCE part 1

For four years now, I have continued to research why all APC members across the country are known for falsehood, deception, and lies, yet I can’t find an answer. The study has not ended yet. I have never met one that stands for the truth and what is right. Even when they are joking, such is often poorly decorated with falsehood.

Ever since PDP won the 2019 General Election in Akwa Ibom, all has not been well with the opposition party as they have been crying their failures almost on a daily basis.

While the government of Udom Emmanuel is still focused and committed to completing his people-oriented agenda for the good people of the state, the APC in the state are on the other hand restlessly planning on how they can coordinate or concoct lies against the government, just to discredit or try to distract the government from fulfilling its target.

But too sad for them because, based on personal and other independent evaluations, the government of Mr. Udom Emmanuel is not driven in blackmail, lies, and propaganda as the governor is determined to bring succor to the people of the state.

The latest is their offensive and lame misunderstanding of the State Government’s move to seek an interpretation of the constitution as regards Local Government Financial Autonomy. I think the APC is not informed about the position of the law in regard to this matter, or perhaps they want to express their perpetual attack on truth and peace. I see no reason why they should cry woes on State Government’s stands when even the law is very clear on this.

Section 7 (6) (a) and (b) of the Nigerian Constitution confers on States and National Assemblies the powers to make provisions for statutory allocation of public revenue to the Local Councils in the Federation and within the states respectively.

Also, Section 162 (6) of the Constitution expressly provides for the creation of the States Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA) into which shall be paid all allocations to the LGAs of the State from the Federation Account and from the Government of the State.

Similarly, Section 162 (7) of the constitution goes on to confer on the NASS the power to prescribe terms and manner in which funds from the SJLGA may be disbursed. In Subsection (8), the constitution empowers the State Houses of Assemblies to prescribe the manner in which the amount standing in credit to the credit of Local Government Councils in the state shall be distributed. This means that the NFIU Guideline is breaching the Nigerian Constitution.

Could it be that APC members don’t have access to the constitution? Or they want to tell the world that they can’t interpret its contents.

The truth is, an agency of government cannot decide how a tier of government should manage its funds when the constitution has stated its position clearly. Till date, the Local Government still pays stipends to all traditional rulers and several other persons.

If I may ask, how many Local Government Areas in the state have functional banks? How many of these traditional rulers have bank accounts? Our Local Government Areas still operates a cash system and not bank transfer as directed by NFIU guidelines. These are issues that the L. G chairmen are heading to the court to challenge, and not their autonomy.

Just of recent, I stumbled on a press release from one Iniobong John, a self-acclaimed chairman of APC youth caucus, whom the party through the APC Publicity Secretary has distance self from his activities. The release was captioned ” PLANNED PROTEST AGAINST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTONOMY”.

On the false release, he claimed that Akwa Ibom state government in collaboration with the 31 Local Government chairmen, has concluded plans to sponsor a street protest against the implementation of the Federal Government’s directives.

And that “A meeting to perfect plans for the arrangement protest took place yesterday at the Shelter Afrique residence of an immediate past commissioner in the state. Present at the meeting according to the concocted release were the 31 Local Government chairmen, top officials of the state PDP and some members of the dissolved State Executive Council.”

It further stated that “To get the Local Government chairmen to sign against their freedom or autonomy, the State Government spent not less than N1.5b.

This is laughable, and only a gullible mind will believe in such press release from a drowning man who still wallows in the ocean of his frustration.

Let me state here boldly that the story is not only baseless and false but also a sponsored work of the grandfather of falsehood and propaganda, our “uncommon” Senator Godswill Akpabio, the APC candidate for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District who was clearly defeated by His Excellency, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong in the just concluded election. Akpabio in his bid to become either the Secretary to the Federal Government, Chief of Staff to the president or Minister of Transport, has resorted to sponsoring lies, blackmails and propaganda against his State Government and other chieftains of the PDP. This is clear desperation and greed to power.
Available information indicates that there has never been any meeting with the Local Government chairmen, Councilors or Government Officials, and there had never been any plan to embark on a street protest. The concocted lies are as deformed as the writer and I dare him to prove me wrong on my submission.

In that empty release, they attached the name of the immediate past Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ephraim Inyang to it, perhaps to give their stories wider publicity, acceptance and believability. Although Ephraim Inyang is an envy of many bases on his love, and determination to interpreting government vision in infrastructure, perhaps this is not the first time they are doing this.

The APC should stop crying. By now they could have accepted their fate and not attempt to distract the government who is bent on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people. APC, all I have to say is: Weep Not Child, Udom Emmanuel is working, and we are satisfied.

Richard Peters