Journalists in Eket and Uyo Senatorial Districts of Akwa Ibom State have tongue lashed sacked Chief of Staff to the Governor on his claims that Sen Bassey Albert should be rewarded with the Governorship position in the State on the basis of purported support he gave to the incumbent Governor.
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The journalists in a joint press conference in Uyo, said that Bassey Albert, from his position as Commissioner for seven years, senator for eight years, has already gotten enough rewards from the state, and as such, "between Akwa Ibom State and Senator Bassey Albert, who is indebted to who?"
Speaking for Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals, Secretary, Jerry Edoho argued that, as a young banker, "in about seven years of serving as Commissioner, Bassey Albert had amassed so much wealth and became so undeservingly powerful that in 2014, he could hold his boss and benefactor, Chief Godswill Akpabio in the jugular in pursuit of a misguided gubernatorial aspiration against the existing zoning/rotation arrangement in the State."
Dismissing the claims by Ephraim Inyang-eyen, the Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals maintained that Senator Bassey Albert couldn't have stepped down for Governor Udom Emmanuel in a race he was ab initio unqualified to participate in, on account of the zoning/rotation arrangement of the State.
"His argument is akin to asking an owner to reward a thief who attempted to forcefully dispossess him of his property. Where is that done?"
The group noted that, "while Senator Bassey Albert was on a dangerous voyage to upset the apple cart in 2014, there were people who stood firmly with the Governor to ensure it never happened.
"Between him(Albert) who was stopped from messing the zoning arrangement of the State and those who stood solidly behind the then Governor to stop him, who deserve(s) a reward?
The group mocked Mr Inyang-eyen for "the temerity to advocate compensation or reward for a man who should, in a normal circumstance be reprimanded for being contemptuous of the State in 2014 and greedy against the right of Uyo Federal Constituency in 2019.
The Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals also opined that, "There's no doubt that Senator Bassey Albert has benefitted serially and enormously from the game of brinkmanship, rebellion and breach of agreement.In other words, his compensation for withdrawing from the illicit gubernatorial race in 2014 was the undeserved Senatorial Seat he still occupies."
"Needless to say that if Senator Bassey Albert had jumped ship like the other two Senators, he would also have drowned with them. Keeping faith with the Party was in his interest as he's still a serving Senator while the other two are former Senators. Is that not enough compensation?"
The group also argued that, "Ephraim Inyang-eyen sounded more ridiculously comical when he told his hired audience that they need a Governor who has relationship with the people of Eket Senatorial District. Between Pastor Umo Eno who has been living and investing in Eket Senatorial District in the past thirty years and Senator Bassey Albert who neither lives nor invests in the area, who can be said to have a relationship with them?
They also reminded the disgraced former Commissioner for Works that Pastor Umo Eno, whose wife is from Mkpat Enin, is an inlaw in Eket Senatorial District, is a highly successful entrepreneur that has created massive direct and indirect jobs for the people.
Which contribution is more valuable than job creation? Who knows and remembers people as someone who has been putting food on their tables by offering them jobs from his sweat?"
On their part, Uyo Senatorial District Media Practitioners Forum through their Chairman, Ofonime Isong carpeted said the grand plot by Mr Ephraim Inyang and Senator Albert was an attempt to emotionally blackmail vulnerable and ill- informed persons, with the sole aim of projecting OBA as the “victim” and challenged "Mr Ephraim Inyang eyen to present any document to support his baseless claim that it was agreed in 2014 that Bassey Albert should step down for Governor Udom Emmanuel that he will be given the right of first refusal when it became the turn of Uyo Senatorial District to produce governor."
They argued further that Senator Bassey Albert had "exhibited moral amnesia when, at the rally, he chanted “no to insecurity”, “no to blackmail”, among others.
They reasoned that since cultists use blackmail and intimidation as instruments of control, was Senator Bassey Albert trying to exonerate himself in order to recreate his personality?
"A man is who he is: Senator Bassey Albert should be told that Governor Udom Emmanuel had proscribed cultism and occultist groups in the state, implying that Akwa Ibom people will never again degenerate to the dark days, which Senator Bassey Albert and his cohorts represent."
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