Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders to Hold Meeting with Gubernatorial Candidates, January

… Say Citizens are Right to Ask how Derivation Refunds are Spent

By Ekemini Simon

A pan Akwa Ibom organisation, Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders has concluded plans to hold an interactive session with gubernatorial candidates across political parties. 

The interactive session slated to hold on January 4, 2023 is designed to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections and also afford elders of the State the opportunity to explore the agenda of each gubernatorial candidate.

This was made known on Wednesday, November 23, 2023 at the last meeting of the year held by the Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders in Uyo.

Briefing newsmen after the Council’s meeting, the Protem Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders, Obong Victor Attah said having assessed the political scene in the State and country, the council decided that it was necessary to hold an interactive session with the gubernatorial candidates.

He said  “We need to talk to them about the conduct of the election. We want it to be peaceful. We will talk to them about how each of them intends to govern the State if they should be the one to get into office.”

The Protem Chairman noted that the planned election of Council into substantive leadership position and Board of Trustees has been postponed due to the non realisation of the numbers needed for the election. 

Obong Attah offered insight to the fact that the Council has formally been registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC thus makes the organisation an established body.

He said in due course, the Council will let the State government have knowledge about the establishment of the body in Akwa Ibom State and their readiness to offer their wisdom as contribution towards the advancement of the State.

Filling questions from newsmen on the controversies surrounding derivation refunds in Akwa Ibom State, the Protem Chairman said it is not out of place for Akwa Ibom people to demand to know what the refunds have been used for adding that he is optimistic that Governor Udom Emmanuel will furnish the people with response.

“We have reason to ask our Governor what he has done with the money. I am sure he will give us an explanation”, he said.

 He however added that the refund is reflective of skewed fiscal federalism practiced in Nigeria. ” This refund coming after decades shows what is wrong with Nigeria as a federation. Why should our money be held back by anybody?  This country needs to be reinvented so that Nigeria can run as a proper political entity. There is no way we would have run as a federation and someone will hold back our money for this length of time,”

Meanwhile, earlier, the Council celebrated the 84th birthday of the Protem Chairman of Council, Obong Victor Attah. In a tribute presented by the Former National Assembly Representative and Minister, Chief Nduese Essien, he described the Protem Chairman as an Apostle of resource control and a courageous leader who stood out in the 13 percent derivation struggle during the administration of Former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He added ” Obong Attah has contributed both eloquently and massively to the extent of being insulted by the people of that time. When he was struggling, his colleagues in the South South did not go along with him. He bore all the brunt of the insult from the president at that time. It is a delight to this council that Obong Attah has stayed on. 

The Council is made up of all former Governors and their Deputies, all former Ministers, all former Senators, all former Ambassadors, all former Secretaries to Government, all former Vice Chancellors, all retired State Chief Judges and all retired Judges of the State, Federal, Appellate and Supreme Courts.

Others in the council are former Commissioners who left office in the last 20 years, all retired Military Officers not below the rank of Colonel in the Army and their equivalent in the Navy and Air Force and all retired Police Officers not below the rank of Commissioners and their equivalent in the DSS, Customs, Immigration and Civil Defence.