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| Nduese Essien |
As the political space becomes tensed in Akwa Ibom State
ahead of the 2015 polls, Nduese Essien, a two- term member of the House of
Representative and former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, has
said he will not seek election into the office of governor, insisting the
present political environment in the state is not very safe.
Essien, who spoke at a reception organised for him by the Eket Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State and the South-South People’s Assembly, said the elections he won twice in 1999 and 2003 when Obong Victor Attah was the governor was because the political space was very safe at the time.
Essien, who spoke at a reception organised for him by the Eket Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State and the South-South People’s Assembly, said the elections he won twice in 1999 and 2003 when Obong Victor Attah was the governor was because the political space was very safe at the time.
The former minister while lauding the role played by former
Governor Attah and current Governor Godswill Akpabio in his life, recalled that
he did not only win elections into the National Assembly during Attah’s tenure,
the governor also gave his support during the struggle for the 13 percent oil
derivation in the National Assembly which the state and other oil-producing
states in the country are enjoying today. While appraising the current
situation faced by local governments in the country, Essien said the local
councils have been incapacitated because of lack of direct access to their
federally allocated revenues. This, he said, has greatly hampered the discharge
of their responsibilities towards the grassroots, thus defeating the aim of
establishing them as a tier of government.
He, therefore, called on the National and State Houses of
Assemblies to urgently pass a legislation that will ensure the autonomy of the
third tier of government. On the numerous aspirants angling to succeed Akpabio,
he urged caution.
Culled from The Nation
newspaper
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