Tag Archives: udom

God directed me to sack my commissioners – Udom Emmanuel

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The Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, has claimed the holy spirit of God led him to sack the State executive council, adding that all indigenes stand a chance of making the next cabinet.

He further claimed that he was looking up to God to help him constitute the next executive council.

The governor, in a statement issued last week by the Secretary to the State Government, Etekamba Umoren, sacked all the commissioners in the state with immediate effect.  and no reason was given for the decision, directing them to hand over to the permanent secretaries in their ministries.

Emmanuel, who was speaking at a programme in Reigners Bible Church International, Uyo, capital of the state, pointed out that he did not know who would be selected as members of the next executive council of the state.

According to him, “As I speak, I do not know who will make the list of the next cabinet, and I don’t even know when I will constitute the cabinet,” he said.

“There is no point rushing to make predictions and draw conclusions because I have left everything in the hands of God, to direct the selection and choose those He knows will be sincere and committed to the Akwa Ibom course.

“Every indigene of Akwa Ibom, including those seated here, stand a chance of making the list.”

BREAKING: Arrest of judges: Akpabio, Udom desperate to bribe Emir of Kano

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In another dramatic and desperate move to escape President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption war, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Gov. Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State are reaching out to the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. They want the emir, who they believe has the president’s ears, to intervene and get them off the hook in the ongoing probe of corruption in the judiciary. Akpabio, immediate past governor of the state, and Udom are said to have paid over $20 million to the justices of the Supreme Court to procure a favourable judgment in the controversial Akwa Ibom election petition filed by Umana Okon Umana, the APC Governorship candidate.

Justice John Inyang Okoro, a Supreme Court justice from Akwa Ibom state (nominated for the job by Akpabio in 2013), was arrested by the DSS Friday night for being the facilitator of these dollar-for-judgment schemes. It is expected that the former governor and his successor would be implicated by the 57-year-old jurist.

Impeccable sources say Akpabio is sending a brand new Rolls Royce car to the Emir in addition to a payment of $10 million to the revered royal father if he agrees to talk to the president. It is not yet clear if the Rolls Royce the Emir recently acquired is the one from the former Akwa Ibom State governor.

To reach the emir easily, Akpabio and Udom have assembled two groups of foot soldiers who are mostly their family members, acolytes and friends. In one group, led by Akpabio himself, are Prince Ukpong Akpabio, the former governor’s cousin who is a fresh graduate from the Nigeria Law School, Abuja, and Mr Ini Ekong, a dismissed military officer who served the former governor as Special Assistant on security. He holds the same portfolio in the Udom administration. Prince is working through a network of contacts like his law school classmates who are from Kano to reach the emir.

In the other group, led by Gov Udom Emmanuel, are Finance Commissioner Akan Okon; Accountant general Linus Nkang and Engr Ufot Ebong.

The key objective of the two groups is to reach out to all manner of influential persons across the country, including Emir Sanusi to ensure that Justice Okoro is released from detention and the matter is not brought to trial.

 

Source: Idongesit Okpon

(C) THEGUIDENEWSPAPER

Tribunal Reserves Judgement In Akwa Ibom Governorship Petition

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The Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Tribunal has reserved judgment in the petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Mr. Umana Umana, challenging the victory of Governor Emmanuel Udom at the April 11 election in the state.

The tribunal resumed hearing after a 2-week recess to adopt the final arguments of the parties.

The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Sadiq Umar, reserved ruling following the conclusion of hearing on the petition.

Lawyer to the petitioners, Mr. Wole Olanipekun (SAN), asked the tribunal to nullify the election on the ground that the petitioner had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the governorship election was not properly conducted.

But the Governor, through his lawyer, Paul Osoro, argued that the petitioner failed to establish his fact. He said that the petitioner gave evidence in less than 50 polling units out of over 2,000 polling units in the state.

Meanwhile, Counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Oyeachi Ikpeazu (SAN), claimed that the electoral body has complied with all court orders, which should enable the tribunal do justice to the case.

No date was fixed by the tribunal for the judgment. However, following the conclusion of their arguments, both parties would know where the pendulum swings, not later than October 29.

Source – Channels TV

Non-Humans Voted in Akwa-ibom State – Tribunal Forensic Expert

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One of the forensic experts who testified before the Akwa Ibom State governorship tribunal Thursday, said out of the 140, 832 finger prints on ballot papers matched (scanned and analyzed) over 100,000 were non- human prints. The witness was testifying in the gubernatorial election suit between Umana Umana of the All Progressive congress (APC) and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, who was the candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in the election. Umana had approached the tribunal, challenging the election and declaration of Udom Emmanuel as governor. At the Thursday hearing, the forensic expert added that they also discovered about 13, 000 cases of thumb printing.
The witness, Abdullahi Dauda, said the forensic analysis was done using Automated Fingerprint and Identification System.
The witness who has worked for the United Parcel Service for 32 years, offered to demonstrate to the tribunal how he and members of his team arrived at the results. Counsel to the petitioner, Dayo Akinlaja then applied that the forensic expert witnesses be allowed to demonstrate the procedure before the tribunal but the respondent represented by Asiwaju Awolomo,argued that the particulars of the procedure sought were not pleaded by the petitioners in the petition. Ruling on whether to allow the witness demonstrate the process was then reserved.
Another witness, Sanusi, said though it was part of the routine associated with its work to take pictures of the process as much as needed and to access materials freely, he was prevented from doing so. He alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) did not allow him free access to the materials. He also alleged that constant incursion by the Attorney General of the state was another issue he had to contend with. The third forensic expert, Salisu Abdullahi, an information technologist, equally identified the joint report earlier tendered. He stated that he had the outcome of the forensic inspection and analysis on his Flash drive and was ready to show the tribunal.
Earlier, the petitioner said he was ready to close his case this week if INEC cooperates with them by presenting before the tribunal all the ballot papers used for the election which the tribunal had earlier ordered. But INEC counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, said the materials may have been moved back to Uyo. That did not go down well with the tribunal which had earlier made an order that the materials should remain in Abuja till end of hearing in the petition. The tribunal then ordered INEC to ensure that the ballot papers are brought before it.