… Amist controversies…
… We have seen some transactions that was fraudulently done, culprit will face full wrath — Chairman Recovery committee.
By Divine Sam
Abak Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State is currently boiling over asset recovery belonging to the local Government Council.
In a recent development, the council helmsman, Rt Hon Ekerette Inyang has reportedly set up a committee for the recovery of the council properties no matter the position of the alleged buyer and seller if the property was not legally transferred the parties are to face the panel for further decision and action.
The committee headed by a former deputy leader of Abak legislative council, a one time Chairmanship aspirant and former SA to Governor to Udom Emmanuel on project, Hon Jude Edem and other political actors in the area are currently on a mission to recover the council properties as mandated by the incumbent Executive Chairman.
However, the committee had send some letters of asset recovery to the suspected buyers to appear before the recovery committee with the original documents which must reflect the agreement between the suspected buyer and the council and possibly the administration that piloted the transaction.
Our correspondent learnt that the letter given to some alleged buyers of the council properties especially lands has turned political as some influential buyers and past Chairmen of the council are presently bantering words leading to serious controversy.
Currently the former council Chaiman, Rt. Hon Joseph Ikpaisong Iyang and member representating Abak federal constituency in the National Assembly, Mr. Aniekan Umanah are in serious disagreement over a cenotaph that was owned by the local Government Council but now replaced with a Long table tennis courts built by the federal lawmaker who claimed to have acquired the property from Mr. Ikpaisong Iyang while serving as executive Chairman of the council and bragged that the council under Joseph Ikpaisong Inyang as at then has given him all the documents which he said are his evidence of rightful owner of the land he constructed the long table tennis court.
When our correspondent contacted the former Chairman of the local Government Council Rt. Hon Joseph Ikpaisong Iyang who has publicly been alleged to have hugely involved in much selling of lands belonging to the council, he said, ” I have not sold any land that is owned by the council, the federal house member Mr Aniekan Umanah when he was then a commissioner for information lied to me that he want to build police post in the cenotaph after presenting a letter he obtained from the then commissioner of police, as Executive Chairman of council, I only gave him the permission to carry on the said Government project. I did not sell out the cenotaph that was generating revenue to the council, but I was surprised to see Aniekan Umanah erecting long tennis courts in the place he told me he was going to build police post”
While reacting, the chairman of the recovery committee Hon Jude Edem said “not everybody that the team assigned to deliver letters met at home, but many were given. Yes it is quite true that some people bought lands from parties and what we demanded is the document which will indicate change or transfer of ownership that will also prove that such property was sold by the local Government Council. You cannot just tell people that you acquired a land from the local Government Council without a paper to show that the property was actually sold to you, we have seen many transaction that was fraudulently done, the person becomes the donor and the donee, legally the duo is the buyer and the seller and some have no documents to prove that they acquired the land from the Government but they go about telling people that rhe committee is witch-hunting people, that is not true, the committee is doing their job and not witch-hunting anybody that is an allegation. if they have a clear case they should approach the committee instead of playing politics with the truth”
Our correspondent also tried to reach out to the police public Relations officer in Akwa Ibom State to find out if the said copy of letter to build police post was available as alleged by the former council boss but all efforts proved abortive.
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