Alleged Impersonation Rocks Obio Ibiet Esa Village: Community Petitions Clan Council, Govern
By Ekemini Simon
Obio Ibiet Esa Village in Ndot Clan, Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has petitioned the Clan Head and Chairman of Ndot Clan Council of Chiefs over alleged impersonation of the Village Head of the community by one Pastor Raphael Davies Inyang.
In a documented complaint to the Clan Council signed by the Secretary, Obio Ibiet Esa Village Council on behalf of the Village, the village copied the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Umo Eno, Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, the Media and 25 other authorities to show interest, investigate and intervene on the matter before it leads to anarchy.
According to the Complaint accessed by TheMail Newspaper, Obio Ibiet Esa, an officially gazetted village under CAP 121 Laws of Cross River State 1975, has recently experienced a disturbing situation where in one Elder/Pastor Raphael Davis Inyang, also known as Akpan Udo Akpan Inyang from Nto Udo in Nung Oku Ibiet 1 falsely presented himself as the Village Head Elect of Obio Ibiet Esa even when he knows that he knows that he does not hail from Obio Ibiet Esa.
The Village Council noted that Pastor Raphael Davies Inyang at all material time has never been a member or an indigene of Obio Ibiet Esa Village, since he is from Nto Udo in Nnung Oku Ibiet 1 stressing that Obio Ibiet Esa does not have such a family among its familles headed by respectful and well documented family Heads
The Complaint added “We respectfully urge His Royal Highness, authorities and agencies copied herein to make findings and investigate as this fact is verifiable as contained in various documents which we shall further make available but at the interim, attached is a copy of the Burial Programme of his late mother in 2014 and particularly referred to pages 2, 4-5 (highlighted) and back cover pages of the Burial Programme of the mother of Pastor Raphael Davies Akpan Inyang: Late Madam Nko Davies Akpan Inyang (alias Eka titia), buried on 8/8/2014, where Pastor Raphael Davies Inyang succinctly declared himself as an indigene of Nung Oku Ibiet I and Nung Oku Ibiet 1 and Obio Ibiet Esa are two separate villages.”
The Village Council explained that Obio Ibiet Esa as a village is made up of four families with all their village heads and can be confirmed from the list of members of Family Heads Forum, Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Councils.
The families and their heads are highlighted are Ekpuk Nung Essien- Obong Emem David Essien, Ekpuk Nung Akpan Umoh- Obong Udeme Okon Akpan, Ekpuk Nung Akpan Udoudo- Obong Monday Akpan Udoudo, and Ekpuk Nung Offiong- Obong Ndifreke Ime Akpan Offiong
The Village Council said these families, having considered the need to have a leader they can submit to, nominated the 4th Family Head, Chief Ndifreke Ime Akpan Offiong as the Village Head- Elect of Obio Ibiet Esa.
They noted that this nomination has not been challenged or rebuffed by any indigene of Obio Ibiet Esa at home or in diasporas, till date.
The Village Council demanded that the Clan Council call Pastor Inyang to stop deceiving elders in the traditional forums that he is from Obio Ibiet Esa, adding that “He should also be reminded that it is people that watered their pasture to make it greener, let him water his own village to attain the status of a green pasture.”
They challenged Pastor Inyang to prove whether he was born after his late mother’s burial in 2014 or if he is not from the same family with Late Chief Sunday Akpan Otu who was and remained the Village Head of Nung Oku Ibiet and Clan Head of Ndot Clan.
Part of the complaint read “Your Royal Highness, with respect to your person and office, we will not fold our hands to see Pastor Raphael Davies Inyang, an indigene of Nung Oku Ibiet 1 come to rubbish what all the family heads in Obio Ibiet Esa Village had done, and do it well, by nominating Chief Ndifreke Ime Akpan Offiong as their Village Head-elect.”
Meanwhile, TheMail Newspaper had accessed and analysed a copy of the referenced burial programme signed by Pastor R.D Inyang which in page 4, it is reported that “Mma Nko ( his late mother) was married to Late Chief Davis Akpan Inyang of Nto Udo in Nung Oku Iblet!. Oruk Anam Local Govt. Area.”
TheMail Newspaper also discovered on the cover page of the burial programme that the only village and village leadership Pastor Raphael Davis Inyang expressed gratitude to was “His Highness, Chief S. A. Otu, the Clan Head of Ndot, and Village Head of Nung Oku Ibiet 1. All Traditional Rulers. All Youth and Women of Nung Oku Ibiet 1.”