USDMPF frowns at harassment of Umo Eno

Ini Billie, Uyo

Uyo Senatorial District Media Practitioners’ Forum (USDMPF) has frowned at the ‘incessant and disturbing’ attack and harassment of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno.

The group which said Eno should be allowed to concentrate on his ARISE agenda for the state, stated that a recent suit was filed against the governor over his WAEC results.

It was gathered that a recent case, Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1247/2023 instituted by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) through a Motion Ex-Parte was filed, demanded documents and records of WAEC from Heads of the National Office of WAEC and WAEC itself at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The forum said that the fresh launch of an investigation into the alleged fake WAEC certificate of the governor, Pastor Umo Eno at the Federal High Court, Lagos is coming after an earlier ruling on the matter by the Supreme Court.

In a statement signed by the Chairman of USDMPF, Comrade Ofonime Isong and obtained by our correspondent, on Wednesday in Uyo, the group alleged that the move was just a ploy by the opposition to cajole and intimidate the governor to join the opposition party to have access and plunder the state treasury.

Isong stated that the governor needed to concentrate on his job, and does not need unnecessary distractions continuously fuelled by the opposition. He added that the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal should be allowed to finish its work.

He called on the people of the state to defend their governor and not allow the opposition to steal the mandate that they unanimously and overwhelmingly gave him at the elections.

“The intimidation of the governor and his constant harassment in the media and the recent suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos by the police are all ploy to distract the governor and force him to eat the APC’s humble pie which is bad and callous.

“The USDMPF feels that this new antic is nothing short of a gang up against Akwa Ibom State Governor to truncate the mandate willingly and overwhelmingly handed him by Akwa Ibom people, or worse still, adopt the carrot and stick tactics to intimidate him to defect to the ruling APC which remains unacceptable as the majority of the people know that PDP is like a religion in the oil-rich state.

“The ultimate aim is to have access to Akwa Ibom State Treasury by all means and at all costs. However, USDMPF is worried by the unending legal battles and landmines plotted by the opposition elements to distract the progress of Akwa Ibom State’s golden era meant to herald more peace, security, wealth and prosperity for the people.

“While the police are free to engage in its investigation process, a few questions begging for answers simultaneously in this regard are, “Why is Akwa Ibom State Post Election case of interest to the IGP to the extent of seeking an Ex-parte Order to compel the WAEC officials and WAEC itself to avail his investigation team with examination records of an entire Examination Centre (Victory High School, Ikeja) in Lagos State for the sake of one man?

“Is the IGP taking instructions from Obong Bassey Albert, aka, OBA of the YPP; Mr Akan Okon; Mr Akan Udofia, who wandered into the APC at the eleventh hour and became its controversial governorship candidate, or Senator John James Akpanudoedehe of the NNPP?

“The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal should be allowed to finish its work,” the group stated.

They wondered if the olive branch extended by the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio to Governor Umo Eno at his inauguration which they later publicly accepted could be a poisonous chalice.