...Order for Immediate release of Detained PDP Stakeholders
The people of Mkpat Enin local government area has condemn in strong term what they described as ill-treatment and undue arrest of a PDP Chapter officer, Chief Anietie Isiaenang and seven others by Bernard Udoh who is an APC candidate for Ikot Abasi federal constituency seat in the area.
The people which came under the aegis of "Mkpat Enin Conscience " described the action of the APC candidate as barbaric and a scheme to reintroduce the area to political war, thuggery and unnecessary tension, an act the area had long left.
The Press Statement read thus:
MKPAT ENIN CONSCIENCE
PRESS STATEMENT
MKPAT ENIN APC HIT MEN UNMASKED
In the late hours of Sunday, 17th February, 2019 in Ukam,Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, some Policemen from the Akwa Ibom State Police Headquarters led by Rt. Hon. Bernard Udoh invaded Ikot Etefia Ukam and arrested Chief Anietie Peter Isiaenang, a chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on trumped up charges.
In the course of the brutal action in the quiet community, the Policemen stopped at Ikot Ediongo Ukam and gunned down two young men, Mr. Promise Uta Emmanson and a friend who were at the reception venue of Mr. Ifiok Ufot Ekpo's child naming ceremony. One of them is feared dead while the other is still bleeding out of the gunshot injury.
It is no doubt true that this uncivil, inhuman and unholy act is politically motivated and is in complete alignment with the APC threat of WARSAW war on the people of the state and peace loving people of Mkpat Enin.
It is important to let the world know that the Sunday night unlawful raid in Ukam by men of the Nigeria Police is a reaction to the show of rejection of Bernard Udoh by the people during the burial of Eteidung John Akpan Essien late last year.
It is still green in our memory that on February 11th, 2019 during the APC Governorship rally in Mkpat Enin; thugs aided by men in uniform went round the Local Government Area destroying PDP billboards at PDP Secretariat, Council Secretariat and other strategic locations.
In the face of all these provocations, we still remained civil. We maintain this disposition not because we can't resist, but we are conscious of the common values that bind us together. But we are disappointed that our brothers in the other party have neglected the need to engage the electorate positively but rather chose to intimidate them for personal gains. Power is not everything but mutual coexistence is what should be our collective concern.
This trend is not strange to the people of Mkpat Enin; anytime Bernard Udoh has a political ambition, whether it leads to his emergence or failure as expected this time; it is always characterized with violence, bloodshed and intimidation of his opponents by both armed thugs and compromised uniform men.
It is on record and still very fresh in the memory of the people that in 2007, while a set of innocent people embarked on a peaceful protest, Bernard Udoh instigated ADUMA with the false allegation that those protesters were militants. In their swift reaction, they went in, opened fire on the protesters, that led to scores being wounded and one permanently deformed.
In Bernard Udoh's blood thirsty ambition, On April 26th, 2007, the eve of a National Assembly election, the quartet of Ubong Ekefre, Ubong Uto, Joe Akpan and Sunday Akrasi were accosted by Bernard Udoh with a team of 16 armed mobile policemen at Ibagwa. That experience informed a petition to the National Security Adviser that was titled: Need to arrest The Spate of Official Sponsored Terrorism Brewing in Akwa Ibom; A petition Against Hon. Bernard Ambrose Udoh.
We, as a people can no longer tolerate this rate of indiscriminate and unannounced illegal raids of the apartments of young and vocal citizens of the Local Government Area. It is obvious that Bernard Udoh is unrepentant of his Police aided brutality on the people he seeks to represent. This is part of the APC ploy to intimidate the people of Mkpat Enin L.G.A.
We have also been informed that the former House of Assembly Member Representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency, Hon Otobong Ndem, at a nocturnal meeting of the APC had handed over names of prominent elders in Mkpat Enin such as Engr. Mayen Etukudo, SA to the Governor on Power, Prof. Eno Ibanga, the current Vice Chancellor of Akwa Ibom State University, Mr. Iniobong Akpan, Secretary of Council, Mkpat Enin and others to mention but few for arrest. For instance, Mr. Monday Micah, a youth activist in the Local Government Area we have reliably gathered is to be killed before the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections next month.
In keeping to these threats, the APC has through the instrumentality of the Nigerian Police force carried out their first assignment by arresting Chief Anietie Isiaenang who was also part of the names submitted by the former lawmaker for arrest.
However, we have enjoyed relative peace in the Local Government Area since Bernard Udoh was rejected by the people through the ballot in 2011 and we are still determined to reject him because he is not fit to represent his people.
To us in the PDP, the forthcoming election is not a do or die affair but our brothers on the other divide have continued to paint a picture that they will not allow the wishes of Mkpat Enin people to manifest at the polls.
We cannot tell who their next target is but as responsible citizens, we are using this medium to inform the public of the latest plot by the APC to intimidate and falsely implicate Mkpat Enin people all in a bid to win the election which they are sure they cannot win because of their unpopularity and rejection by the people.
As concerned citizens, we will continue to use every lawful means to ensure that the lives and properties of Mkpat Enin people are safe during and after the elections.
Finally, we are committed to protecting the convictions of our people. We are telling the people of Mkpat Enin that they should look at the intimidations as comedy shows. We are appealing to the Nigerian police to be professional in their duties. We shall stand by the truth which represents the conscience of the people. Mkpat Enin people shall do justice against time tested despots who squandered our commonwealth when they were entrusted with the responsibility of leadership for twelve years.
God bless Mkpat Enin people!
