I am eligible to contest – Okponung
The Transition Committee chairman of Udung Uko LGA, Hon. Godwin Okponung has been accused of flouting the “well-established zoning agreement in the LGA.”
A group known as Uboro Consultative Assembly is accusing the transition chairman of stalling the turn of Uboro Isong Inyang under Ward 6 from producing a council chairman.
In a recent protest letter to Gov Umo Eno, the group sought his intervention in the zoning arrangements of the area, to ensure equity and peace.
Speaking to this reporter, a stakeholder in the LGA, Comrade Victor Mkpofor, explained that all stakeholders of the area have unanimously zoned the seat of chairmanship to Ward 6.
He said that the area is divided into three political zones, A, B and C, but that only Zone B is left out in the contest.
A document made available to this reporter revealed that stakeholders of the area, through a zoning committee set up by the President-General of Udung Uko Development Union, Dr Mercy Effiong, had proposed that Ward 6 be allowed to produce the chairman of council in 2023.
The resolution, according to the document, was ratified and endorsed by about 192 stakeholders of the area.
“To avoid wastage of investable resources, brigandage, thuggery and other social conflicts often characterised by electoral contests in the area, stakeholders of Udung Uko Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, had in 2006, reached a consensus for sharing of elective political offices in the area”, the document read.
The paper, referred to as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which divided the area into two political zones, Zone A and Zone B, was said to have served its purpose, paving the way for smooth sharing of political offices.
The reviewed zoning document revealed that the zones included Wards 1, 2 and 3 as Zone A; Wards 4, 5 and 6 as Zone B and Wards 7, 8, 9 and 10 as Zone C.
The document which used four tables to present the statistics of the spread of elective positions in the area, reads thus in parts:
“The committee viewed as gross marginalisation and inequality in power sharing among the component parts in Udung Uko LGA which has given rise to the demand for review of the zoning formular.
“Besides, the people of Ward 6, as a distinct group in Udung Uko LGA, has never produced a chairman of council, which is the reason, the popular opinion has ceded 2023 chairmanship to them.”
There is no contention that the current chairmanship position in Udung Uko is in Zone B. Of the three wards in the zone, Ward 5 had produced chairmen in the persons of Hon. Okon E. Uye in 1996 and Hon. Atanang Osung from 2021 to 2023.
Zone 4 had also produced a chairman in the person of the current transition chairman, who was at the helm of affairs as transition chairman from 2015 to 2017. The ward also produced House of Assembly Member for eight years in the person of Chief Jerome Isangedighi.
Ward 6, which is Uboro Isong Inyang has never tasted the seats.
The current transition chairman is seen to have endorsed the zoning document proposed and concluded in favour of Ward 6. Page 17 of the document captured his signature as number 43 of the 192 signatories.
But Comrade Godwin Okponung believes he is eminently qualified to contest the election. While speaking on phone with our reporter, Mr Okponung stated that there is no restriction whatsoever barring him from contesting the election.
He affirmed that there are three political zones in the area. He also said the current chairmanship contest is zoned to Zone B, made up of Wards 4, 5 and 6.
According to him, all aspirants from the three wards are eligible to contest and he cannot be an exception. “The chairmanship position in the current contest is in Zone B. The zone is found in Wards 4, 5, and 6.
“Every qualified aspirant in any of the Wards can contest. Ask those who say it is zoned to Ward 6 whether the House of Assembly contest was only zoned to Ward 2.
“It was zoned to Zone A and interested persons in wards 1, 2 and 3 contested. So, it is not true that I am not eligible. I am eminently qualified and I am favoured by zoning”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, the ward 6 people repeated the same line of protest on Tuesday when they stormed the Government House in Uyo with series of their protest letter addressed to the governor.
Below is a link to the protest as captured by WatchmanPost.
They displayed their placards with various inscriptions including: “Stop marginalisation of ward 6 in Udung Uko LGA”; “Udung Uko LGA on a cross road”; “Godwin Okponung: Respect zoning in Udung Uko LGA”; “Political hijackers, abide by zoning; On zoning we stand.”
They called on the governor to come to their aide.
Why is it difficult for our people to embrace politics of live and let’s live? If there’s a zoning arrangement, it should be respected. Selfishness should not be king in our politics.