By Joseph Atainyang
Fresh facts have emerged of how a serving commissioner in Akwa Ibom State executive council, Mr. Akan Okon, who is in charge of Housing and Special Duties, made fruitless efforts to facilitate the impeachment of the Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon.(Barr) Onofiok Luke.
An unchallengeable source made the revelations recently stating that the former Finance Commissioner had some weeks back coordinated a meeting in his house with seven members of the Sixth Assembly persuading them and suggesting antics by which Barr. Luke could be thrown out.
The source who dropped the hint only on confidential ground, maintained that Okon had wanted to plot out the speaker so as to gain relative control of the house as well as map out plans to pursue with ease, his ambition of seeking the Governorship seat by next election.
The source stated that Okon was frustrated when his contact point, the seven members who attended the meeting, were unable to recruit more legislators into the fold as funds which he allegedly made available were thrown back by other members, including Idongesit Ituen of Itu and eight others who openly expressed their solidarity with the Speaker, saying they were solidly behind Mr Luke whom they viewed as being the best thing to have happened to the Sixth Assembly.
It could be recalled that the rumours of the Speaker's impeachment saga had been a familiar chorus some weeks back.
Similarly, Mr. Okon was said to be bent on plucking off the Speaker as he (Okon) reportedly went further to preach his gospel of Luke's removal by stretching towards engaging in negotiations with eight other members of the house who outrightly turned him down leaving him completely ashamed.
The members include: Dr. Usoro Akpanusoh of Esit Eket/Ibeno, Elder Friday Iwok of Abak, Hon. Otobong Akpan of Ukanafun, Rt. Hon. Mfon Ekong of Nsit Ibom and Rt. Hon. Udo Kierian Akpan of Oruk Anam.
Others are the Deputy Speaker, Princess Felicia Bassey of Okobo State Constituency, David Lawrence of Eket and Nse Ntuen of Essien Udim.
Meanwhile, the same Special Duties Commissioner has been fingered in the current media war against the lawmaker who represents the Itu State Constituency, Hon. Idongesit Ituen.
However, a call sent to the said Commissioner to make response, in line with the allegations, was hung up within 35 seconds as he (Okon) asked this reporter not to call his line.
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