Mr Israel Idaisin, chairman, Ini local government area.
Abasifreke Effiong- Uyo
An indigene of Iwerre, Ini local government, Akwa Ibom state, Hope Mark Ekpenyong, who was arrested based on a petition by the Ini local government chairman, Mr Israel Idaisin, has been denied bail on the orders of the council chairman.
Ekpenyong who was arrested by the men of the anti – robbery squad from the Akwa Ibom state police command, Ikot Akpan Abia, has been in police detention since Friday, 12th June, family members of Ekpenyong told The Dune over the weekend.
The council chairman, Mr Idaisin, reportedly authorised the arrest of Ekpenyong through his in-law, Mr Idorenyin Akpabio, OC anti – robbery squad and has directed that he should be kept in detention.
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Family members and a surety who went to the state police command to get Ekpenyong on bail on Friday and Saturday were reportedly turned back by the IPO, on the instructions of Idorenyin Akpabio, OC anti-robbery.
Mr Idaisin ordered the arrest of Ekpenyong over an alleged case of “forgery, false claim and attempted blackmail.”
Hope Ekpenyong.
Idaisin petitioned Ekpenyong, who claimed to have worked as special assistant (media and publicity) to the him to the police after Ekpenyong posted a letter resigning his position as aide to the chairman on Facebook.
In the resignation letter dated 8th June, routed through the dean, college of aides to the executive chairman, Ekpenyong said he resigned on personal grounds.
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The letter sighted by this reporter reads; “sequel to my leave of absence dated 17th June 2019, for a one year compulsory national service in Enugu state, I write to officially notify you of my resignation from office as your special assistant on media and publicity effective this day.”
“While thanking you for the opportunity to serve in your government, accept my warmest regards.”
Ekpenyong’s resignation letter gotten from Facebook.
The council chairman in a disclaimer on 9th June, issued by his chief of staff, Pius Effiong Akpan, said that Ekpenyong was not his aide.
The disclaimer challenged Ekpenyong to produce a letter of appointment to the office which he claimed to have served the chairman and warned members of the public from doing business with him.
“Hope Mark had never at any point been appointed a Media Aid (sic) to the Executive Chairman. It is his word to present the appointment letter issued to him by the Executive Chairman or the Council to that effect.
“That if no appointment letter was at any time issued to Hope Mark Ekpenyong by the Executive Chairman or the Council, we wish to state clearly that this is a subtle attempt to blackmail the Executive Chairman and embarrass his office.”
“It is equally an offence against the general interest of the public worthy of legal action for; Illegal possession of the official Letter Headed paper of Ini Local Government Council, Illegal usage of (a) above and claims to have been a media aid to the Executive Chairman whereas it is an attempt to smear the noble image of the Executive Chairman and deceive the gullible public.”
“The public should desist from doing business with him in any capacity connected to the Executive Chairman or the Council. Neither the Council nor the Executive Chairman would be held liable for any fraud perpetrated against any unsuspected member of the public by Hope Mark Ekpenyong, an acclaimed former Media Aid (sic) to the Executive Chairman.”
While the council chairman claims that Ekpenyong illegally used the letterhead of the council, this reporter noted that there are marked differences between the letterhead of the office of the chairman which the disclaimer originated and the one used by Ekpenyong to write his resignation.
A disclaimer on Ekpenyong from the council on the council’s letterhead.
Meanwhile, friends of Ekpenyong, told The Dune that the Ini council chairman, Mr Idaisin has a number of youths from the local government working for him as aides without appointment letters.
One of them who spoke on condition of anonymity said the youths of Iwerre are miffed by the actions of chairman towards Ekpenyong whom he said has been doing publicity for the chairman online since the current council was constituted.
“Ekpenyong has been promoting him and publicising his activities. He was always at the council doing publicity for the chairman before he left for youth service. So, we knew him as the media aide to the chairman because everything about the council and the chairman, he was the one publishing it on social media.”
Another friend of Ekpenyong who has led a freeEkpenyong campaign on Facebook said he was disappointed that Mr Idaisin was using his office and relationship with the OC anti-robbery to hound an indigene of Ini whom he was elected to protect.
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“Ekpenyong has been working for the chairman and the council by extension. He (Idaisin) can’t deny that. If Ekpenyong has done anything wrong, I had expected the chairman to call and caution him. To me the disclaimer that Ekpenyong was not officially an aide to the chairman was enough, why use anti-robbery squad from the state command to arrest him? There is a police division in Ini, why state command. To me, this is an unnecessary intimidation of a boy who has defended you severally in the media space.”
Meanwhile, Ekpenyong has served up an apology on Facebook for using the council’s letterhead to post his resignation letter.
He said he did not forge the letterhead nor blackmail the chairman.
“For the respect I have for the Mark Ekpenyong Abia – my family and my big brother, Rt. Hon. (Otuekong) Emmanuel Ekpenyong Bassey, Member representing Ini State Constituency and Chief of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the good people of Iwerre clan and all the political office holders in Ini local government area, I hereby tender an unreserved apology to Ini local government council and the Chairman, Israel Idaisin for using the local government letterhead while posting my resignation letter.”
“But, let me say this to the good people of Ini local government area that I didn’t forge the council’s letterhead nor blackmail the chairman as seen in the petition”, Ekpenyong wrote.
