By OFONIME HONESTY
A group named Itu Patriots’ Forum has accused the member representing Itu State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Idongesit Ituen, of fronting a campaign to oust the Transition Committee Chairman of Itu Local Government Area, Hon. Elsie Esara.
In a release signed by the chairperson and secretary of the group, Elder Edem Linus and Barr Silas Uboh, the ongoing probe of the Itu Council Chairman was described as ‘an unhealthy antic of a lynch mob led by Mr. Idongesit Ituen.’
The group noted that the petition sent to the House of Assembly and the subsequent invitation of Mrs. Esara by the House was acts orchestrated by Ituen.
“Hon. Ituen, using a couple of Supervisors in the Itu Transition Committee as pawns, has also joined forces with his House of Assembly colleagues in the rather futile attempt to oust the council boss.
“A petition on ALLEGED financial mismanagement by Esara was sent to the Assembly. In the petition, the council boss was, amongst other allegations, accused of using Council funds to cater for the welfare of the governor’s wife.
Interestingly, other political chieftains ‘indicted’ in the petition include Hon. Ituen, who is now sitting as one of the legislators cum jurors that grilled Esara during a four hour open trial at the Assembly.
To observe that no anti-graft agency in Nigeria has acted on the petition underlines the fact it lacks credibility.”
Continuing, the group decried that the first lady of Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel, has been dragged into the mess.
“In the petition, the council boss was, amongst other allegations, accused of using Council funds to cater for the welfare of the governor’s wife. Interestingly, other political chieftains ‘indicted’ in the petition include Hon. Ituen, who is now sitting as one of the legislators cum jurors that grilled Esara during a four hour open trial at the Assembly. To observe that no anti-graft agency in Nigeria has acted on the petition underlines the fact it lacks credibility.”
Passing a vote of confidence on the council chairman, the Itu Patriots listed her achievements. “While other Local Government Councils are complaining about paucity of funds, Mrs. Esara’s administration is constructing a befitting storey building to serve as the Itam market office, drainage system in Itam, empowerment of over 180 women and youths in agriculture, empowerment of 200 youths with grants and other life touching projects which space won’t permit us to list.”
They alleged that, “In 2007, Governor Godswill Akpabio (as he then was) gave him Inter-ministerial Project worth 200 Million Naira. Ituen siphoned the money. We challenge him to show any project he executed with the money.
As the transition chairman of Itu, Ituen built about 30 shops with council funds and later sold all the shops to himself and his aide, a certain Idorenyin Raphael.
“Nowadays, Ituen goes around bragging about his football academy. The bitter truth is that the club, rather than being an avenue for talent harnessing and wealth creation, has become that of exploitation.
An ex-international, Friday Ekpo, who coached the team for nine months is still being owed nine months salary.
The welfare of Ituen FC players is pitiable. At the recent State FA Cup tournament, some talented footballers were spotted by individuals who posed as agents for foreign clubs, but after the tourney, the big talk of sending the boys abroad for trial in clubs has vanished.
“His stock in trade is recruiting cultists and arming them to mastermind violence during elections. His habit of blackmail predates his time as an Assembly man.
When his predecessor, Rt. Hon. Ekaette Okon, was serving Itu State Constituency, Ituen was on the flanks instigating fallacious publications against her in the bid to make her lose support prior to the 2011 election.
But as God did it, Mrs. Okon was reelected. It is glaring that he is doing to Elsie Esara what he did to Ekaette Okon.”
While imploring Idongesit Ituen to focus on his primary responsibility of positively representing Itu in the Assembly, the group warned that “we will henceforth not condone any act aimed at creating disunity and distraction in Itu. We have set machineries in motion to that effect.”
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