Secret Reporters
Following a war of words between the erstwhile Commissioner for Information in Akwa Ibom state, Mr Aniekan Umanah and a member of his immediate constituency; the former information boss has inexplicably made startling revelations concerning issues, programs and activities going on in the constituency.
In an apparent reply to allegations made against him by one Kokoette Udom, the House of Representatives hopeful revealed a lot of things he’s reportedly done for Mr Kokoette which includes paying for his tuition and also maneuvering the system to enable Mr Kokoette get paid 100,000 bursary granted by HE Senator Godswill Akpabio for students in the area. This admission by Mr Umanah brings into question the credibility and fairness of the bursary scheme.
Going by Mr Umanah’s admission, he was aided by one Hon. Ibokette and the Senator’s aide, Mr Anietie Ekong to get Mr Kokoette paid, in an instance where he wasn’t qualified to benefit from the bursary. One can only assume there are gross irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries for the bursary scheme and only those who have friends in high and mighty places can benefit from a scheme sponsored with government funds by the Senator.
In another admission by Mr Umanah, he illegally included Mr Kokoette’s mum as a PDP delegate in the 2015 elections to enable her secure funds to fend for her son. Going by the history of party primaries in the state, there have been allegations of favouritism by political leaders in the choice of delegates and these delegates in a bid to return the favour certainly do the bidding of whoever included his/her name on the list and at the same time, deny the masses of effective representation.
Mr Umanah,who made these claims through a social media post on his personal Facebook handle,is definitely a key player in the subjugation of ineffective leadership on people of the state, his critics told this medium.
All efforts to reach him for comments proved abortive as his lines were unavailable before press time.