Akwa Ibom dep gov, Ekere, resigns

Posted by admin Akwa Ibom, Headlines, State News Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

AKWA Ibom State Deputy Governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere, on Wednesday resigned his position with immediate effect and without official explanation.

His Chief Press Secretary, Inemesi Ina, in a statement, said Ekere resigned “on personal grounds” and declined to elaborate.

However, there were indications that the Deputy Governor’s resignation might not be unconnected with his governorship ambition.

The Civil Liberties Organisation chairman in the state, Mr. Clifford Thomas, described Ekere’s resignation as a conspiracy.

He added that Ekere had been nursing the ambition to contest the governorship of the state.

He said, “Ekere is not going to wait if he is asked to wait for someone from Uyo senatorial district who had had their turn in the person of Governor Victor Attah. There is a conspiracy yet to be known.

“Ekere is not going empty just like that, he is going to disclose a lot of things; there are arm-twisting.

“It’s a very sad thing: I want to see competition in this state and not arm twisting people. He might have endured a lot of things.”

Chairman, Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Linus Udofia, said the resignation of Ekere was not good for the government.

He described Ekere as very quiet and intelligent, saying whatever forced him to resign would have been weighty.

He said, “It is not possible for Ekere to have resigned so early. There are indications that Ekere might have been tolerating something, which he felt there was no need putting up with it anymore. And this may lead to his resigning so early.

A source, who confided in our correspondent, stated that Akpabio starved Ekere of funds.

He said, “Ekere fell out with Akpabio because of his interest in running for the PDP’s governorship ticket in 2015 election.

“Akpabio prefers SSG, Okon Umana, for governorship ticket in 2015 to Ekere. This has led to a frosty relationship between the two. He might have resigned owing to frustration.”

Efforts to speak with the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umana, did not yield result as his telephone indicated that it had been switched off.

-Punchwp_posts