ICYMI: How Vice Chairman was sacked over different dates of birth in WAEC certificates
In light of the ongoing alleged certificate forgery and age falsification scandal involving the PDP governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, Pastor Umo Eno, TheMail chronicles the travails of Abasiama Etukakpan who was ousted from office as Vice Chairman of Oruk Anam Local Government Council over different dates of birth in his WAEC certificates.
Abasiama Etukakpan, now 29 years, was impeached on March 23, 2021 for alleged falsification of age. Disparities in date of birth was noticed in his two WAEC certificates.
Fourteen out of sixteen Councillors in Oruk Anam Legislative Council served Etukakpan who was then the Council’s Vice Chairman an impeachment notice.
The Councilors accused Etukakpan of submitting “certificates with highly questionable and fraudulent dates…in the course of his quest to become Vice Chairman of the Local Government Area.
“In his Certificate of Birth for instance, Abasiama Etukakpan claims that he was born on 17th October, 1992, whereas in his West African Examinations Council Certificate, the same Abasiama is said to have been born on 1st March, 1998”, the councilors stated in the impeachment notice.
READ MORE: https://themail.com.ng/2023-udom-goes-brutal-on-obas-men-orders-impeachment-of-lg-vice-chair/
Abasiama was eventually impeached by the Councillors in what was termed by many as a political witch-hunt.
But the House of Assembly in August 3, 2021 ordered for his reinstatement, saying the impeachment was a complete illegality and a mess on democratic tenets.
READ MORE: https://themail.com.ng/akha-orders-reinstatement-of-impeached-lg-council-vice-chairman/
But just few days after his reinstatement, he was again impeached by the Councilors, this time for alleged absenteeism from official duties, financial impropriety and threat to councilors.
READ MORE: https://themail.com.ng/reinstated-council-vice-chair-served-another-impeachment-notice/
A new Vice Chairman was immediately appointed and sworn-in to office and is still serving in that capacity till date.
In lieu of the recent developments concerning the certifications and actual date of birth of Pastor Umo Eno, pundits have said that the PDP and Governor Emmanuel do not have the moral justification to enthrone the embattled governorship candidate as governor of the state.
Umo Eno has January 1, 1964 as date of birth in his Permanent Voter’s card while April 24, 1964 is listed as his date of birth in his other credentials.
This is currently a subject litigation in the Federal High Court of Uyo in a case instituted by Akan Okon, a former Commissioner against Pastor Eno, the PDP candidate.
The Governor is alleged to have sanctioned the removal of Etukakpan for being a loyalist of Senator Bassey Albert who was reportedly marked for political decimation by the “system” following his 2023 governorship bid.