African Democratic Congress, ADC in Akwa Ibom State has called on Pastor Umo Eno, executive governor of Akwa Ibom State to Resign and retire back to his hospitality business if he cannot stand the heat of being governor of Akwa Ibom State willing to answer all citizens enquiries irrespective of how such enquiries are packaged.
Senator John Udoedehe, Chairman of ADC Strategic leadership Committee in Akwa Ibom State, made the call at the weekend while reacting to the arrest, detention and subsequent prosecution of Lady Princess Godsown Udoito, the Eket activist who became popular after deploying her social media handles to engage the governor over what is largely considered as an improper allocation of Eket ancestral land known as Akoiyak Ekid by the governor to business fronts reportedly linked him without due process of law and community engagement and thus triggering the resentment.
Akpanudoedehe, a former FCT Minister, two time governorship candidate and renowned opposition leader in Akwa Ibom State said the arrest of Lady Udoito, sets a negative precedent in citizens engagement raising concern that members of the public cannot become criminals merely dor asking for their rights.
Udoedehe said the arrest of Udoito, herself, a member of African Democratic Congress and grassroots mobiliser is provocative and capable of inciting civil unrest as that is clearly a discreet attempt by the government to clamp down on opposition element in the State and free speech. While accusing the governor of negative revisionism since assuming office two years ago said that Pastor Umo Eno cannot come home with ant infested firewoood and still expect lizards not to come home to feast in his ban.
Akpanudoedehe faulted the Governor's handling of the matter especially in the light of the reported involvement of Okuibom Ibibio and National Security Adviser who are said to have waded into the crises and brokered a truce which was to enable parties sheath their sword and possibly remedy the situation.
"Akwa Ibom State is a democratic State and for once, His Excellency needed to show respect to his people and the authority and Office of Okuibom Ibibio, the President General of Akwa Ibom Traditional Ruling Council and listen to his royal Counsel. For goodness sake, he is a governor in a democracy and not a despot or a King whose decisions cannot be interrogated by the citizens.
"In those days, you cannot query a King or speak evil about a King. The King will dispatch his army to silence you. Recently we saw something like that in one of the South South States and you can see how the public rose to condemn that dastardly act and the Kingdom had to even rise to disown and denounce the babaric act of stripping a citizen because he reportedly spoke evil of the King. Why did they have to do that? It is because that era is gone and deployment of power must align with civilisation, citizens right to know and their right to complain when they feel they are not fairly treated!
"Since we now run a democracy, those in power must understand that citizens retain the right to confront their government and seek explaination over whatever is dear to and concerns them.
"That is the basis upon which the governor cannot criminalise Princess God'sown Udoito in advocating her right and the right of her people to their ancestral land now their inheritance. Without prejudice to whatever claim that others have to the land in question (because I'm not from Eket and I dont know...)the governor cannot rise to arrest a citizen who is expressing his or her frustration with the way he (the governor) has deployed his powers to deny them their ancestral land.
"Thank God that Eket People have an active organisation called Eket People Union. Insread of deploying force and brasenly wielding his powers against a hapless citizen and threatening the people, the governor should dialogue with the union and other agitators and find a middle ground which could include compensation, relocation or other forms of appeasement that will assuage various interest protesting against him now. I hate to see the governor acting like a lion in Akwa Ibom State and dishing threats to citizens who confront his abuse of power but timidly shying away from confronting the Federal government of Nigeria over key infrastructural development and rights if Akwa ibom State in Abuja. Why is the governor very audacious while talking to Akwa Ibomites but very silent on matter of leadership and strength at the national scene?
"I am the leader of opposition in Akwa Ibom state and for strategic reasons, we have kept quiet over how the governor is running the State just so that no one would say we distracted him when the time to show how his ARISE AGENDA has reduced poverty, hunger and unemployment in the State comes. It is obvious we need to speak up against the dictatorial tendencies now being brazenly displayed by the governor before things get out of hand.
"Our call therefore is that the governor starts getting serious with his social contract with Akwa Ibom people by developing our lands and her people in ways that is seen to be maximally proportional to the huge allocations he has recieved so far; or resign and quit if he cannot stand the heat in the kitchen of politics and governance where citizens enquiries cannot be criminalised like in the case of Princess Udoito.
"We demand that the governor withdraws all charges against Princess Udoito, ensure her unconditional release from custody and where he feels defamed or jeopardised by her form of prayers, he can institute a suit against her with his personal funds after he quits as governor of Akwa Ibom State and without immunity. For emphasis, the governor must answer all citizens enquiries regarding the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve and no citizen, no matter how small we may deem him or her, should be clamped down by state institutions for asking questions irrespective of the tone it is delivered.
"We demand dialogue with the stakeholders as opposed to the arrests and threats of arresting leaders involve in the campaigns for due process in the handling of the agitation. This is in line with the need for government to deal with citizens in a way that recognises them as major stakeholders in the politics of the State."