*The Untold Story Of Ezara's Ford Edge Car
*As Whistle Blowers May Invite EFCC
TOROBONG EKPO
The Itu Transition Chairman, Mrs. Elsie Esara has for the second time shun the invite by the Local Government Committee of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, headed by Prince Idongesit Ntekpere.
The Committee had earlier invited the Chair Lady to defend a petition signed by the Supervisor for Works, Mr. Ubong Edem and two others over alleged embezzlement of public funds.
In the said petition, the Council boss is said to have indicted the wife of the state governor, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel of conniving with some self acclaimed stakeholders of the area with a view of fingering Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the Local Government.
An unconfirmed report had pegged the IGR for a typical Itam Market day at 33 million naira, while a normal market day generates whooping sum of 3 million naira daily.
It was also gathered that Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) and Ayadehe fishing community do generate close to 20 million naira monthly.
In the said petition, Mrs. Ezara had admitted that she shares IGR with about nine stakeholders, thereby making pundits to wonder how much each person takes home at the detriment of the downtrodden and less privileged members of the society.
The assembly committee had invited the chairman to appear at Committee Room 3 on Tuesday, 2nd May with other members. While the lawmakers were patiently waiting, the Council boss refused to show up nor tender apology.
Our reporter gathered that such insolence angered the committee members, who perceived her actions as a dent to the image of the assembly.
After a strenuous deliberation and fact finding, the immediate Past Speaker of the Assembly, Rt Hon Aniekan Uko is alleged to have pleaded with other members to give her a second chance, suggesting Friday, 5th May as another opportunity recalling that the committee was given two weeks (which expires on Tuesday 9th) to tender its report at the plenary.
Mrs Esara on Friday, shunned the assemblymen again and in place tendered an injunction through a court officer allegedly restraining the People's Assembly from probing further.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Transition Committee, Mr. Etido Udo Ibid and the Supervisor for Women Affairs, Mrs. Anthonia Udoette is said to have joined the signatories on Friday, 5th May in petitioning Mrs. Ezara over gross financial Irregularities.
Some whistle blowers are alleged to be heading to EFCC, in order for the Council chairlady to defend how the council's IGR do fly on "eagles wings" to destination unknown.
It is rumoured that, one of the whistle blowers has called on EFCC to probe the council chairman on how she uses a period of six months to acquire tear rubber Ford Edge Vehicle, landed properties in some nooks and crannies of the state among other investments.
As it stance, exception of paltry two members, the rest of the Transition Members are headlong with Ubong Edem led petition.
Pundits opine that if the assembly, which christened itself as PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY fails to bring to book culprits in the worded petition, then the hope of a common man will be shattered.
Mrs. Elsie Ezara and the wife of the governor, Mrs. Martha Udom relationship is rumoured to have started since when the former was a classroom teacher to the latter.
While Ezara is a born native of Etinan LGA (Popularly known as the brain basket of Akwa Ibom State) Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel hails from Oruk clan in Oruk Anam LGA. Both are married to sons of Itu and Onna respectively.
It will be recalled that Itam Market women and students under the aegis of National Association of Itu Students had petitioned the council chair lady indicting her of distorting the constitutional provision of the groups.
An unconfirmed report says that Mrs. Ezara is on the verge of begging ALGON members to intervene on her behalf with the leadership of the assembly.
All efforts to reach the council's chair lady proved abortive as she pretended to be a chronic stammerer when this reporter placed call on her.
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