Akpabio’s wife, Unoma was first to lead DSS to invade A’Ibom Government House, says ex-commissioner who served under Akpabio

By Nse Peter

A former commissioner in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Chris Ekong has said that the recent raid on Akwa Ibom Government House, Uyo by the Department of State Service wasn’t the first time the federal security agency undertook such controversial mission in the state.

Dr. Ekong who served as commissioner for youths and sports in Godswill Akpabio’s administration said Akpabio’s wife, Unoma holds the record as the first person to lead a team of officers from DSS to invade the Akwa Ibom Government House.

“About two years ago, Unoma Akpabio led a team of DSS to invade a section of the Governors' Office, precisely the SSG's Office, which sits on the same floor with the Governor's official office, separated by a space of about 15 meters,” Ekong who currently heads the Department of Economics, University of Uyo, said in a message he posted on Internet discussion group, Ibom forum.

Think Akwa Ibom! has found out that the incident recounted by Ekong occurred on July 29, 2013 when the then Secretary to Akwa Ibom State government, Umana Okon Umana was forcefully removed from office by Akpabio who was the governor at that time.

Mr. Umana, the All Progressive Congress candidate in the April 11, 2015 Akwa Ibom governorship election, is currently at the election tribunal, challenging the election of Akpabio’s successor, Udom Emmanuel, as the governor of Akwa Ibom State.

“He (Umana) was on an official duty in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) when security operatives stormed his office and ordered the workers to vacate the premises before sealing it off,” The Nation newspaper had reported the DSS’s raid on Umana’s office.

Ekong added that, “Several items were carted away, doors locked and spurious announcement made as to the discovery of over $750,000 from a driver (which was later accepted to be untrue).
“What is the difference between the Unoma-led raid and this one, conducted by the same DSS?”  

Public opinion remains divided over the DSS’s raid on a facility – Presidential Lodge – located within the Akwa Ibom Government House, Uyo. Some people have faulted the raid as being an attack on the immunity of the Akwa Ibom governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, while others say the DSS’s action is in order if they had security information that illegal arms and foreign currencies were stockpiled in the facility.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matter, Ita Enang recently defended the DSS as having the legal right to search anywhere within the country, if they suspected it was harbouring illegal arms and ammunition.

“Akwa Ibom people must stand up and say the truth that Government House is not immune to investigation by security agencies,” said Mr. Enang who is the immediate past senator for Uyo Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State.