Two Years After, PDP Delegates Beg A’Ibom Gov For Entitlements

Worried over the delay in the payment of their N250,000 feeding/transport allowance for the May 2022 Akwa Ibom State PDP Governorship primary, a group known as the short-changed statutory delegates of the PDP, have sent an open letter to the governor, Umo Eno.

They are pleading with the governor to come to their aid to enable them receive their entitlements.

This was contained in a release by Bishop Ime Ekpe, Elder Ita Williams, Mr. Donatus Asukwo and eleven others, as made available to TNN.

In the statement titled: “Open letter by short-changed PDP statutory delegates of Nsit Atai Wards/Chapter to Governor Umo Eno” they explained that “Your Excellency, we are appalled at the aberrant attitude but preferential treatment by Otuekong Raphael Bassey, Commissioner for Housing, in shortchanging 14 statutory delegates out of others from Nsit Atai who solidly backed your governorship ambition from 2022 to date.

“Specifically, we are nonplussed to inform you that we have not been paid the N250,000 each, being the feeding/transport allowance accrued to statutory delegates who participated in the PDP Governorship primary held at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo in May 2022.

“We reliably learnt that the money was released to Otuekong Raphael Bassey, PDP political leader, Nsit Atai, who selectively paid to other statutory delegates leaving 14 of us to swim in the sea of hopelessness and denial.

“Upon the delay in paying our due allowances, we approached Bassey who confided in us that he has not gotten a definite instruction from Rt. Hon. Mark Esset, Honourable Member, House of Representatives, to pay us the amount totalling N3.5 million.

“Dissatisfied by his response, we approached and reported the matter to the state PDP Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan to intervene for us, but he has put us in a state of asphyxiation.

“Despite these spirited efforts, Otuekong Raphael Bassey is adamant and inured in meeting our due right.”

They appealed to “Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, Akwa Ibom State Governor, and the PDP Leader as well as a man of justice, fairness and equity, to graciously come to our aid to enable us to receive our due entitlements.”

Still in the release, the shortchanged statutory delegates of Peoples Democratic Party, Nsit Atai Wards/ Chapter, told the governor that they “feel at home over your impacting but eventful one year in office.

“We are happy with your dynamic reward disposition in reciprocating foot soldiers who joined you in the trenches that manifested in your election as the Akwa Ibom Governor.”