The erection of billboard in Akpan Andem Enterpreneurial Market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, Wednesday, sparked fresh war of words between Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.
Trouble is said to have started when a Special Squad of Ibrahim Idris, the Inspector-General of Police sent to the state from Abuja invited Dr. Iniobong Essien, the state Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources on Wednesday, October 17 for interrogation following a petition said to have been written by Mr. Ini Okopido, the state chairman of the APC, over alleged demolition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign billboards by men of his ministry.
However, the commissioner after interrogation by the police was released Wednesday.
While PDP said it was avowed pledge to turn Akwa Ibom State into theatre of war and unleash violence around the vicinity of Akpan Andem Market, APC saw it as PDP-led government’s effort at falsifying account to commandeer a three-faced unipole billboard erected by the party in the market.
PDP said “In their avowed determination to execute their pledge to turn Akwa Ibom into a theatre of war and violence aimed at fulfilling their promise of WARSAW SAW WAR, APC released murderous goons who unleashed gargantuan violence and incredible mayhem yesterday around the vicinity of the Akpanadem Market, a popular market in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State over a billboard they alleged belonged to the APC candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere.”
On the other hand, APC remarked “We are shocked by the Gov Udom Emmanuel-led government’s efforts at characteristically falsifying and distorting the accounts of its failed attempt to commandeer a three-faced unipole billboard erected by our party at the Akpan Andem Market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
“The billboard was erected in strict compliance with due process, which includes obtaining valid approvals from the appropriate authority and payment of all statutory fees to the State Government’s agents.”
In a press release by Ini Ememobong, the state PDP Publicity Secretary on Wednesday entitled THE MANIFESTATION OF APC’s PROMISED WARSAW IN AKWA IBOM STATE, the party observed “Curiously, instead of the police arresting the murderous goons, they allowed them to walk free, while they invited the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Iniobong Essien (whose Ministry regulates erection of billboards) to the Police Headquarters, at Ikot Akpan Abia in Uyo, and as the time of writing this release, he was still held in detention.
“According to the facts of the matter, a local vendor had sought and got an approval to erect a billboard. The Ministry approved the erection of the billboard at a particular location free from encumbrances and in accordance with the extant regulations. The vendor many months ago commenced the erection of the board, but at a different location, which for all intent and purposes is not fit for the undertaking he sought. This fact was brought to the attention of the vendor many months back and he halted the erection of some components of the board.
“Surprisingly, yesterday the ministry learnt that APC agents went to hoist a banner on the billboard and were prevented by security agents. The approved location of the billboard was several meters away from the main thoroughfare of the market. Instead of restricting themselves to the point approved for them, they erected the billboard at a place most unfit for such and in flagrant contravention of environmental regulations.”
The party lamented “The Commissioner of Environment, Dr. Iniobong Essien in full execution of the regulatory powers vested in his ministry advised the company to relocate the pole to the approved location. Instead of adhering to the advice, the thugs employed by the APC engaged in unrestrained violence injuring bystanders and chasing away staff of the ministry. They claimed that the billboard that bearing the image of President Muhammadu Buhari was torn (a fabrication sweet only for their ears). There’s no billboard bearing the poster of the President in the entire stretch of the state, so how could people destroy what was never hoisted?
“On Tuesday 16th October, a Special Squad purported to have been sent by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris arrived Uyo, following a petition said to have been written by the state chairman of the APC, Mr. Ini Okopido. The Special Squad invited the commissioner and without any legal reason detained him.
“We wish to let Nigerians know that the Nigerian Police is a tax payers’ funded security agency and the notion that a Special Squad could be purportedly sent by the Inspector General of Police to harass a government official undertaking his legal duty, over a minor issue of like the location for the erection of a billboard is deeply offensive.”
It called “The Nigerian Police must know that Nigerians and indeed the international community are watching these troubling developments.
“Finally, we must remind the Nigerian Police that when pushed to the wall there is only one direction to go and that the slow movement of the tiger should not be interpreted as cowardice. That we are a law abiding party and our people peace loving, should not be misinterpreted or mistaken for cowardice.
“If this is the beginning of the Federal might that the APC has been promising to use in capturing Akwa Ibom, we can assure the world that the people of Akwa Ibom State who are solidly behind Governor Udom Emmanuel will resist this type of Federal might with every fibre of our being. We will preserve through this oppression conscious that while others trust in their horses and chariots, we will continue to trust in the Lord, knowing that this battle is the Lord’s.
The party lauded “Akwa Ibom State under the Administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel is a very peaceful, safe and secure place, which has earned the commendation of all including the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Major-General Jamil Sarham who earlier this afternoon during a courtesy call on the Governor stated that of all the areas under his operations, Akwa Ibom State has the lowest crime rate and is the most peaceful.”
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to cause the Inspector General of Police to explain why a Special Squad claiming to act at his behest would be sent to the State over a minor issue as the erection of a billboard.
“Our people are watching this inglorious action and at due time, equal and opposite reaction will follow,” PDP advised.
Reacting, Nkereuwem Enyongekere, APC State Publicity Secretary in press release issued Wednesday entitled THE OWNERSHIP OF BILLBOARD IN UYO CONTESTED BY GOV EMMANUEL, refuted the PDP’s claims.
“Our Party through a media advertising agency applied and secured approval to erect the said billboard at a spot in the market by the Consultant to the State Government on Outdoor Advertising. We then proceeded to erect the billboard to coincide with the APC Uyo Senatorial District Solidarity Rally for President Muhammadu Buhari which held on September 22, 2018 at the Uyo Township Stadium which is proximate to the market.
“However, because the Market authorities had instructed that work could only be done on Sundays, the erection could not be completed in time to meet the event. Thereafter, the party decided to wait for the emergence of its Governorship Candidate so that both the Presidential and Governorship candidates of our party could share spot on the same board.
“Once the billboard and other billboards with materials of our party’s candidates came up, the State Government in anger sacked the Consultant on outdoor advertising who had served the state for 14 years, “for approving sites for APC sympathisers.” Next, Mr. Nsima Ekere’s billboards along the airport road were vandalised.”
APC recalled “On the night of Sunday, October 14, 2018, we were informed that welders had moved into the market to mount the PDP and Mr. Emmanuel’s campaign ad materials on our billboard. We dismissed it as a huge joke because we believed that there are still some sensible people in government who would counsel against such impunity. We were rather shocked when our team discovered in the morning of Monday, October 15, 2018 that finishing work and painting had started on the unipole by totally strange persons.
“Our men who complained about the theft were briefly detained and released by officers from the Area ‘C’ Crime Unit. Thereafter, we reported the matter to the State Police Command who stepped in to investigate. Both parties were immediately counselled to stop work until the ownership of the board was established and all issues in contention were tabled hence a meeting was scheduled with the parties concerned for 10.00 am the next day.
“In spite of this however, the State Commissioner for Environment Dr Iniobong Essien and Chairman of Uyo Local Government Elder Imoh Okon, led thugs and a team of heavily armed Policemen to the market at about 7.00pm to continue work and install Governor Udom’s materials on the billboard paid for and erected by us. It took the intervention of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) to persuade the Commissioner for Environment Dr Iniobong Essien to stop the daylight robbery by the State Government at about 1.00 am!.
“You may wish to know that on October 3, 2018 shortly after a bullet was fired into the bedroom of our Governorship Candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere, leaders of our party raised an alarm detailing a number of threats to security by the PDP-led government in the state. We followed that up with an appeal to the Federal Government to step in and call the state government and state PDP chapter to order for the sake of peace in the state. We specifically listed a number of violent attacks on our members in Uruan and Onna and other breaches to the peace sponsored by the Udom Administration as promised in several incendiary broadcasts.”
However, the party enjoined “Our appeal also cited threats by the State government to appropriate this particular billboard for its own use and its ill-intentioned demand that other billboards with the materials of our Governorship Candidate including the three-faced billboard at Ekom Iman Junction and a two -faced billboard near the entrance to Shelter Afrique Estate on Oron Road be pulled down immediately for flimsy reasons.
“We are aware that the Police are investigating this matter. We have offered our full cooperation to the Police because we want them to get to the bottom of this case. If the Police have taken any steps in the course of their investigation activities, the APC, a law-abiding institution, is not to blame.”
It dismissed the opposition party’s release thus “We do not intend to dwell any further on this matter. The traders at the market who witnessed the actions of the past few days know who the aggressor is. The infantile tales-by-moonlight tissues of lies from the PDP Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emem Iniobong, cannot mask the truth that this government is trying to take over a private property that it has no right to.
“The incredulous movie-like scene scripted in the opening paragraph of the PDP account is clearly symptomatic of the NJ antics of the State Government in enacting make-belief scenarios to deceive members of the public and mask its failings in governance,” the party pointed out.
