The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly today suspended the chairman of Abak local government area of the state, Barr. Imoh Williams, indefinitely after he allegedly assaulted an artisan, Mr Godwin Abraham, from the area.
Giving the verdict during an emergency plenary convened to launch investigation on the matter, the speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, ordered the vice chairman of the council, Mrs. Benita Ukpe, to take over as acting-chairman with immediate effect pending when probe on the case is concluded.
It will b recall that in a video that circulated online recently, some men said to have acted at the instance of the embattled chairman, were seen whipping one Mr. Godwin Abraham, who earlier had confronted the chairman for refusing to pay him the sum of N75,000, a fee for a decoration service he had rendered to him about two years ago.
A source close to the suspended council head who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Abraham was invited by the chairman’s loyalists in April this year to the council secretariat where he was beaten for taking to social media to “insult” the chairman for not paying him the said amount.
“That video was made to prove to the chairman that the job was done. I think the chairman refused to settle the person that made that video and he had to leak it,” the source said.
But bothered by public outcry against the development, the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, on Wednesday had condemned the act, describing it as unacceptable, one that negates the core values of the state.
“I roundly condemn the assault that took place at Abak Local Government Council, currently circulating on the social media. Such actions are unacceptable in a civilized society and does not represent our core values in the state,” he noted.
Emmanuel, however, had advised the state house of assembly, which was hitherto on recess, to reconvene and begin full investigations on the matter.
During the emergency plenary earlier today, member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo state constituency, Rt. Hon. Uduak Odudoh, brought the case to the House as matter of urgent Importance. He prayed the house to suspend the erring chairman while investigations are ongoing.
Also speaking, member representing Ibesikpo Asutan State constituency, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko, who described the assembly as one that is a voice to ordinary citizens of the state, called on the security agencies to wade in on the matter to help fast-track the investigations.
However, member representing Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Usoro Akpanusoh, suggested that the embattled chairman be given a fair hearing in the course of the investigation.
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