UbongAbasi Ise

By UbongAbasi Ise The crisis that has been rocking Qua Iboe Church, 112 Ikot Ekpene Road, yesterday took a worrying dimension as pupils of the Nursery/Primary School located within the church premise could not attend school. Armed Police tightly secured the premises which were under lock and key making it impossible for anyone to have access to the premises. The church premises was sealed off yesterday by the men of the Nigerian Police Force following the rowdy church service on Sunday after the Church secretary, Elder Sylvester Edem, announced the decision of the committee to remain as the mainstream Qua Iboe Church founded in 1887. In the wake of the closure of the church premises, The Sensor learnt that Rev. Ndueso Ekwere, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; Rev. Daniel Akwatang, Special Adviser to the State Governor on Religious Matters; Elder Imoh Okon, Uyo local government council chairman; and the Church Committee Chairman, Elder Onofiok Etan...

By UbongAbasi Ise “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” – Martin Luther King Jr. Nigeria still remains a country that offer a compendious description of uncivilized, adulterated democracy of a typical Third World country where myriads of malpractices and despicable modus operandi endure. With crass looting of commonwealth taking the place of dividends of democracy, and with all organs of government serving as hubs of corrupt practices, one find it difficult to identify a more qualified arm of government that could be trusted in leading a blithering warfare against corruption.While the executive arm is heavily intoxicated with power and become highly manipulative in pursuit of its narrow interest with no recourse to rule of law, the legislature is there ‘padding’ the budget; while the judiciary’s notoriety in bribery is becoming increasingly popular. This demonstrates that Nigeria is desperately in a fix of three arms of corruption running from executive to leg...

Dr. Chris Akpan is the Director General of Godswill Akpabio Campaign Organization, GACO. He once served under Victor Attah-led state government as the Commissioner for Rural Development and he was later appointed into the committee on Airport Project by Godswill Akpabio’s administration. In this interview with The Sensor correspondent, UBONGABASI ISE, he reveals how one of the three members of the national assembly election petition tribunal, Justice Sherrif Hafizu, disagreed with his two other colleagues and rejected mouthwatering kickback offered by the Akwa Ibom State Government to influence the judgment against Senator Godswill Akpabio in his petition challenging the declaration of Senator Chris Ekpenyong as winner of February 23 senatorial election. Dr. Akpan hinted that Justice Hafizu might expose the underhand practices surrounding the majority judgment of the tribunal. He lauded Hafizu for his courageous, dissenting judgment and called on Akpabio’s supporters not to panic bec...

By UbongAbasi Ise Following the dismissal of the  petition brought before the national assembly election tribunal sitting in Uyo by Mr. Emmanuel Ekon challenging the victory of Elder AniekanUmanah in Abak/EtimEkpo/Ika federal constituency election, the former counci chairman of EtimEkpo local government area, Mr. Uduot Jack, says the prayers of the former two-termed lawmaker would fail again should he approach the appellate court. Interacting with newsmen shortly after the ruling on Wednesday in Uyo, Mr. Uduok Jack said Emmanuel Ekon who contested under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, lacked witnesses to prove his case at the tribunal, believing that if he chose to go to the Appeal Court for redress, his case would still fail. "This judgment is all about evidence. What evidence does he have to present before the Appeal Court? He lacked evidence to provide at the tribunal here and he fails. He is going to fail again. I know going to Appeal Court is c...

By UbongAbasi Ise Wednesday night was a moment of mix-feelings for the camps of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Chris Ekpenyong following the rulings of the national assembly election petitions sitting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. The respondents to the petition, including their supporters, were thrown  into excitement as the majority decision of the panel read by Justice W. O. Akanbi upheld the election of Senator Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, though the minority judgment by Justice Sherrif Hafizu was apparently giving them something to worry about. On the other hand, the mood of Senator Akpabio's supporters was enlivened by Justice Hafizu  split decision as he pointed to numbers of evidences to declare that the petitioner merits the victory of the February 23 senatorial election in Akwa Ibom Northwest District. Interacting with newsmen shortly after the rulings, the petitioner's counsel, Adekunle Oyesanya, SAN, said t...

By UbongAbasi Ise Today, the national assembly election tribunal sitting in Uyo will decide who occupies the seat of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District following hearing on the petition filed by Senator Godswill Akpabio challenging the declaration of Senator Chris Ekpenyong as the winner of February 23 senatorial election. There is deep concern on where the pendulum of justice would swing to as the tribunal sets to deliver a judgment on a case that generated huge interest from the public. As it would be recalled, the national assembly election tribunal adopted final addresses by the parties to the petition on August 8, 2019. While adopting final addresses, S.I. Ameh counsel to the petitioner, derided the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, (3rd Respondent and two ors) over their claims that there was no election in some places in Essien Udim local government area because materials were carted away by armed thugs and never replaced. Ameh had questioned...

The Akwa Ibom State water ways has experienced tremendous peace from frequent attack by sea pirates as a result of a combined intervention of ex-militant leaders and a team of amphibious Mobile Police squad from the office of the Inspector General of Police, courtesy of the State Ministry of Agriculture and Women Development. Speaking to our correspondent in Mbo local government area of the State on Saturday, the chairman of Mbo Indigenous Fishers Association, Mr Offong Ettekamba said that there is a remarkable peace in the sea within the past two weeks since the amphibious Police led by ex-militant leaders took over the surveillance of the water ways. Mr Ettekamba called on the State Government to as a matter of urgency, maintain the current security measures instituted by the State Ministry of Agriculture and Women Development which contracted Creek & Estuary Limited to partner the State Government in the security of the maritime industry. He commended the Commissioner f...

By UbongAbasi Ise "It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere" – Voltaire It is because of grave dangers of disease that we most times drink medicinal concoctions that are too bitter for human consumption. If not for the sake of finding solution to problems around us, people would not have been belabouring themselves in inconveniences. Identifying and demystifying crux of problems are one diagnostic process that gives tremendous health to our society. Given this conceptualization and the quest to address youth unemployment that becomes very problematic in Akwa Ibom society today, yours truly had to take up a noble duty of writing a solution-oriented article titled, ARE AKWA IBOM YOUTH AFRAID TO ASK SIMPLE QUESTIONS? This was published on page 3 of The Sensor Newspaper edition of Monday 2nd September 2019, and subsequently circulated and shared generously on the social media platforms. The piece was well received by the youth audience who felt the need...

A coalition of media professionals in the Niger Delta Region under the aegis of Niger Delta Media Consortium NDMC, has condemned in entirety, the recent publications by some local tabloids in Akwa Ibom State and  the social media alleging that Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio called for a probe of the NDDC and indicted former Managing Director, Obong Nsima Ekere as being instrumental to the inept indebtedness of a whooping sum of  N2 Trillion Naira. Condemning the false publication, the proactive media consortium admonish media practitioners in Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole to always abide by ethics of journalism profession, and abhore fabricated news and unbalanced reportage. Addressing newsmen after the inaugural congress of the NUJ in Uyo ,  the chairman Niger Delta Media consortium, Alhaji Aminu Ebong said it was shockng and shameful to observe that some unscropulouse elements still take pride in carrying out unwarranted blackmail and f...

By UbongAbasi Ise “I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves” – Harriet Thubman Politics in Akwa Ibom State is as funny as the play of masquerade in some parts of Annang land. Once Eka Ekpo masquerade is fully dressed, then it is said to have been possessed by certain mysterious spirits. The Eka Ekpo, more often than not, would become vicious and dreaded. His wild proclivities would even influence the masquerade dressers to run away. If not controlled, he can maim, kill or destroy food crops. Whether he behaves fairly or badly, the masquerade dressers would not abandon him. They would still be there to support him against exposure of their well-guarded secret doctrine or any situation that would put the Ekpo cult into disrepute. Similarly, the youths of Akwa Ibom State have contributed in no small measures in dressing up the masquerading government holding sway today. The officials they dressed up for governance have becom...