The recent outbursts by sacked Chief of staff, Mr. Ephraim Inyang against his former boss, Governor Udom Emmanuel has been described as political tears meant to whip sentiments and emotional appeals.
Latest reactions are coming from two groups namely, Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance and Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals who both maintain that the former customs officer wants to use the conviction of OBA as a springboard to leap from his political wilderness.
Addressing a media parley, Sunday in Uyo, Chairman, Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance, Barr. Steven Abia who described the outburst as the last kicks of a drowning man, cautioned the sacked Chief of staff to desist from his act of mudslinging and blackmail against Governor Udom Emmanuel, as the group noted that Ephraim Inyang and his gang have resorted to deploying blackmail and mudslinging against his former boss in a bid to mob sympathy from the public.
“We seize this opportunity therefore to advise him to desist from further unwarranted attacks on the governor.
“If by chance Ephraim Inyangeyen has issues to settle with the law court, the police and other law enforcement agencies, let him leave Mr Udom Emmanuel out of it. He who has ants in his firewood can only be inviting lizards to a feast”.
Similarly, a statement issued by the Director of Public and Strategic Communication, Mr. Joseph Ekong onbehalf of Association of Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals, has urged the embattled YPP Senatorial candidate to face his “wobbly and ill-fated senatorial project” and desist from noisemaking and needless rabble rousing.
They observed that Ephraim was crying wolf in an attempt to seek public sympathy and make himself a beneficiary of Bassey Albert’s conviction.
Restating their commitment to the peace, unity and progress of the state, the ESD Media Professionals advised Ephraim Inyangeyen and co to refrain from what they described as “senseless outbursts”, warning that his inflammatory outbursts were capable of breaching the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.
In a press statement titled; “Ephraim Inyang’s Macabre Dance: Last Kicks Of A Drowning Horse”, the Akwa Integrity Alliance had observed that the media space has been inundated with interviews, Public declarations and press releases by Ephraim Inyangeyen and his cronies, alledging among others, a plot to have him arrested by law enforcement agents. The group also observed with dismay the abuses allegedly poured on the Governor who is also the grand Patron of the group by Ephraim Inyangeyen, where he (Ephraim Inyang) was quoted as blaming the Governor for the political misfortune of his Political party, the YPP.
The group slammed Ephraim Inyang for using the conviction of his Governorship candidate, Bassey Albert by a court for corruption to score political capital and further described Ephraim’s allegation of plots to get him arrested as unfounded and a figment of his imagination.
The statement reads in parts;
“We are shocked to observe the series of attacks on Governor Udom Emmanuel linking the governor to the self-inflicted woes of Senator Bassey Albert, a man convicted by the court for money laundering, fraud, bribery and corruption in a protracted case instituted by the federal government through its anti graft agency, the EFCC. Whether it is by ignorance or outright hatred for Governor Udom Emmanuel, it is shameful for Ephraim to link the Governor to Bassey Albert’s ordeal. The senator has only reaped what he sowed. That is exactly what he bargained for when he immersed himself in the ocean of corruption.
“That Ephraim would be the numero uno in lamenting the conviction of the convicted Senator, simply fulfill the age long axiom, “show me your friend and I tell you who you are”.
“Today nobody is bothered to ask if the 3billion naira contract to Jide Omokore, for which Bassey Albert received 204million naira as kickback, was actually executed or if the embezzled money could have helped offset some of the backlogs of gratuities and pension arrears that the past administration left behind for Mr Udom Emmanuel in 2015”.
“We are aware of the fact that Mr. Ephraim Inyang is seeking public sympathy from the people of Eket senatorial district ahead of his 2023 failed Senate aspiration. It is rather unfortunate that instead of working tirelessly to redeem the battered reputation of their principal, by genuinely apologizing to Akwa Ibom people for his misdeeds in public office, he and his cohorts have chosen mudslinging and blackmailing as a tool to curry public sympathy”.
“At this point, one is force to ask, was Ephraim Inyang praying for a time like this so he can capitalize on Bassey Albert’s conviction as a political capital? His crocodile tears notwithstanding, everyone remembers Ephraim as a man without conscience, who usually acted lawlessly as a public officer, going outside official briefs to pull down houses, insulting communities to the utter embarrassment of government that managed him”.
“Truth be told, the arrest of Ephraim Inyang will be of no economic or political benefits to anyone and will not stop the enthronement of the divine successor to Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno as the next Governor of Akwa Ibom State who is generally accepted by Akwa Ibom people”
“The unfounded allegation of an unexisting plot to arrest Mr Inyangeyen only exists as a figment of the imagination of the man with the last kicks of a drowning horse Senatorial ambition. No one needs to witch-hunt Ephraim Inyang. As far as we are concerned, Ephraim Inyang’s tambling, ranting, and calling the Governor names in his self-inflicted wounds of dishonor, are signals of reek of failure and fear of the unknown.Whatever issues Ephraim Inyang has with the police or any other security agency is his cup of tea and, when that happens, he should have none but himself alone to blame”.
Defending Governor Emmanuel in the recent conviction of Bassey Albert by the Federal High Court, the The Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals in their statement noted; “We join other honest commentators to remind those who care to listen that the trial of Senator Bassey Albert started long before Mr Udom Emmanuel became the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. And neither the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which prosecuted him nor the Federal High Court is a state government institution. Nobody should play the victim by attempting to create the impression that the state government is cracking down on the opposition. It is a statement of facts that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) doesn’t have to go to ridiculous extents in order to retain its foothold on Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District in particular and the entire State in general”.
The group reminded the former Works Commissioner and later Chief of staff to sort himself out of he feels his he’s been by his shadow, rather than raising unecessary alarm, and throwing tantrums and insults on Governor Emmanuel whom the group described as his benefactor.
“If Mr Ephraim Inyang Eyen is haunted by his own shadow, he shouldn’t become alarmist, throw tantrums at, and insult his benefactor, His Excellency, Mr Udom Emmanuel.
“He should remember that he was so wealthy in 2014 that he couldn’t issue a cheque of up to Fifty Thousand Naira (#50,000). Then, he was humble”.
“As Commissioner For Works throughout the first term of this administration, he invested more efforts into building his personal economy than building public roads for which he was appointed. This earned him a redeployment and later a boot from government.
He has become intoxicated, paranoid, reckless and almost insane.
“It is in line with our avowed commitments to the peace, unity and progress of our beloved state that we hereby wish to sound this note of advice to Akparawa Ephraim Inyangeyen and his hirelings to refrain from senseless outbursts that could be inflammatory and capable of breaching the peace currently being enjoyed in the State”.
The group further wondered, “When did Eprhaim become such an atrocious blackmailer that could openly boast that he has manufactured and kept documents that will be used to destroy the image of his benefactor and lifesaver?
“This is the most irrational and senseless comment a man like Ephraim Inyangeyen could make against his former boss, benefactor, Mentor and Governor of the State, given the fact that before he was appointed a Commissioner in the State Executive Council, this same man had no known reasonable address in the State capital.
“Suffice it to say that while he held sway as Commissioner for works, the State saw the worst performance of a public officer in that position.
“With Ephraim as Commissioner for Works, poor handling of compensations and alleged under valuing of properties, hampered the good intentions of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s government in infrastructural expansion. Several court cases and traditional injunctions were the order of the day. It was few months after Ephraim was eased out of the Ministry of Works that major roads started getting progress from a new Commissioner”.
The Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals reminded him that he should focus on his political ambition and leave the Governor out of his woes.
