Udeme Utip, Uyo
It was an open show of shame at the Ibom Hall grounds, venue of the International Women’s Day celebrations, as a female member of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council, Dr Glory Edet flouted the orders of the wife of the state Governor, Dr. Martha Udom Emmanuel thereby insulting her person and office.
Findings reveal that the First Lady had instructed the wives of all 31 Local Government Chairmen in the state to mobilize women for the event, even as each LGA was told to bring a maximum of 40 women and conveyed them in two buses.
An eye witness account had it that while the wife of Ini Local Government Chairman, Mrs. Edith Idaisin who is also the Women Coordinator of Maintain Peace Movement, Ini Chapter had carried out the instruction of the first lady, through the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Ini Adiakpan, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Edet brought five buses filled with women from across different local government areas in the state to the venue, causing a rowdy session and pose as an embarrassment to the First Lady.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Adiakpan, who didn’t find Edet’s action reasonable had opposed and questioned the rationale for her actions.
Adiakpan’s question, it was learnt erupted severe argument which led to the exchange of blows between Glory Edet and Adiakpan.
The Commissioner for Agriculture was quoted as yelling at the top of her voice: “I am the Dean of Commissioners and leader of all women in the state, I have the right to bring women to this event and nothing anyone can do to stop me.”
The argument and physical combat between the duo of Dr Edet with her women affairs ministry counterpart ensued as they wanted to occupy the canopy reserved for Ini women which were duly led by Idaisin at the time the First Lady arrived at the venue.
During the match pass, the Dean of Commissioners again left her exulted seat on the podium and insisted that her women, too had to be on the line to match, an action which again was opposed by the Commissioner for Women affairs; the commotion at that point attracted the attention of her Excellency, who had to send for Edet to return to her seat.
She flouted the orders of the First Lady through Senator Akon Eyakenyi insisting that her women must partake in the match pass.
The women were withstood by those who came with the chairman’s wife.
In her effort to further calm nerves, the First Lady asked the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Felicia Bassey to approach Dr Edet to jettison her effort to showcase her women since the wife of her chairman was on ground as directed by her office but Edet insisted that she was in charge and unstoppable.
Edet’s refusal to oblige the First Lady’s directive led to a fight between the women that she brought and the Ini women who came with Idaisin.
The security details attached to Edet engaged in a serious fight with those who came with the wife of the chairman of Ini and at that point, Government House security details were drafted in, and together with “Only God” Security team, they were able to send them out of the venue on the orders of Her Excellency, Dr Martha Udom Emmanuel.
Edet, who made a different feeding arrangement for the women that she brought, approached the podium and made attempt to return to her seat, but was rebuffed by Her Excellency who was so angry and shouted angrily at her not to near the podium but should be taken away by the security details.
This was carried out to the letter as she was dragged away and molested by the security team.
The First Lady who felt highly embarrassed left the venue of the event mid-way due to the insults she received from Edet.
A source from the Government House who pleaded anonymity confided in our correspondent that Edet has made it part of her habit to disregard the First Lady’s directives.