Akwa Ibom State Politics: Why Isaac Achong Was Posted to Akwa Ibom State
Isaac Gabriel Achong is the new Commissioner of Police, who has been sent to be in charge of Akwa Ibom State. Soon after the 2011 General Election, Achong's boss, Mr. Felix Uyana, was removed from Akwa Ibom State after the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly unanimously delivered a vote of no confidence in him, as a result of incidents of high crime rate in the State. It was then that Isaac Gabriel Achong, who served under Mr. Uyana as the Director of Police Operations, was transferred out of Akwa Ibom, after spending more than 15 years in the State as a police officer.
During his term, Mr. Achong used his office to commit all sorts of atrocities, including conspiring with and protecting criminals. When he was transferred from Akwa Ibom State, everyone, including the men and women in uniform who served under him, was elated.
But now Isaac Gabriel Achong has returned to Akwa Ibom. This time around, as the Commissioner, he is the one who would call the shot---he will answer to no one but the Inspector General of Police, who will not be available in the State to learn firsthand all the intrigues that Achong will be committing.
Everyone is wondering why Mr. Achong is being re-posted to Akwa Ibom State. Here is why.
Of all the 20 candidates of the PDP, who have made known their intentions to contest for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State, and thereby challenge the choice of Akpabio's successor, Umana Okon Umana is the only one whom Akpabio considers as the real threat to his plan to impose a successor.
Since July 2013, when he sent his wife to lock Umana out of office as the Secretary to the Government, Akpabio has been trying everything under the sun to have Umana arrested by the Nigeria's Security agencies, but to no avail.
Sources say both the SSS and the EFCC have rejected every approach by Akpabio to have Umana Okon Umana arrested and charge him for crimes of financial improprieties that Akpabio thinks were committed by Umana during the time he served in his cabinet. Now, the only options available for Akpabio is to deploy the Police and have Umana Okon Umana arrested and keep him under detention until after the election.
Sources say the immediate past Commissioner of Police, Mr. Guwalabe (?), also refused to oblige to a similar request. To find a Commissioner of Police who will do the bidding and his evil deeds in the name of politics, Akpabio had to bribe the system to have Achong, whom he knows very well, re-posted to Akwa Ibom.
Reliable sources have confirmed that Akpabio was shocked when he was told that the Area Police Commanders, who have served under Achong, did not welcome his being sent back to the State. They were complaining that the return of Achong will revive political unrest, assassinations, and kidnappings in the. The Commanders felt that if Achong is allowed to stay their men and women in uniform will be subjected to the negative image which they suffered when Achong was the Director of Operations. Akpabio became uncomfortable with the news.
Yesterday or a day before, Akpabio invited all the Area Police Commanders for Security meeting, which was conducted from morning till late in the night.
At the meeting, Akpabio pleaded with the Commanders to be loyal to the new Commissioner. He also urged them to encourage the file and rank officers in their respective zones to remain loyal to Achong. After the meeting, according to sources, Akpabio gave them the usual envelopes.
The PDP has set October 29th for the Primary. What this means is that very soon, the campaign for 2015 General Election will be in full throttle. Before that date, insiders say Akpabio is going to release mayhem in Akwa Ibom State, the magnitude which will surpass the one he did in 2011.
Written by
Ikpafak Thompson Essien
The Voice of the Poor Masses
Defender of the Oppressed
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A native of Ibibio nation of Ubium Republic extraction, now living in the safe and beautiful city of Portland, Oregon, where no AKPF, ADUMA, ADV, and Akwa Ibom State politicians can reach.