AKWA IBOM ALERTS NSA TO SECURITY THREAT

Akwa Ibom State Government has petitioned the National Security Adviser (NSA), General Owoye Azazi (rtd) over threat to public peace and security in the state.

In a letter dated 16 June 2011, secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr Umana Okon Umana called on the NSA to investigate the activities of Dr Imeh Umanah, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) gubernatorial running mate in the state, who he accused of prosecuting a campaign of incitement that 'could cause unrest, disturbance of public peace and a total breakdown of security in Akwa Ibom State.'

The petition alleged that Dr Umanah has engaged in 'false, inciting, malicious and libellous publication widely circulated in Akwa Ibom State and many other places against the state governor, secretary to the state government and other high-ranking government functionaries of the state.' The petition to the NSA follows a publication by Dr Ime Umanah in many local newspapers in Uyo under the title, 'An open letter to the people of Akwa Ibom State: Why does Dr Godswill Akpabio want me dead?'

The state government complained to the NSA that Dr Umanah made many false allegations in the offensive publication, including allegations of 'murder, kidnapping, intimidation' and others that are unacceptable to men of culture and decency. The petition recalled that Dr Umanah's campaign of incitement had earlier been reported to the NSA, and urged immediate action now to bring him to account as he has stepped up the campaign in recent times, rather than abstaining from it.

Dr Umanah is currently facing charges of terrorism and threat to life in the High Court of Justice, Uyo. He was charged to court last year after he had sent threat text messages to Governor Akpabio and threatened to bring the Boko Haram into the state to deal with the governor.

Government alleged in the petition to the NSA that Dr Umanah had tried several times over the past months to get the state chief executive to interfere with the course of justice over the case in the court without success, suggesting that Umanah's campaign of incitement is an attempt to pressure the state government to abort his trial with respect to the terrorism and threat-to-life charges he is facing in court.