Eket elders condemn attack on Esuene

Senator Helen Esuene

Elders of Eket Senatorial district have condemned the Wednesday violent attack on Senator Helen Esuene by thugs in Essien Udom Local Government Council of Akwa Ibom State.

Esuene, who is aspiring to become the governor of Akwa Ibom state, come 2015 narrowly escaped death as her campaign team was attacked at the party secretariat in the governor’s Essien Udim Council by unknown thugs.

The thugs who were not happy that the Chapter Chairman of the party in Essien Udom, Elder Friday Udoh had welcomed Senator Esuene to campaign in the council, virtually destroyed all valuable items at the secretariat, and made away with the senator’s phone, hand bag and other valuables.  

Briefing journalists in Eket yesterday, the former Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Bassey Essien who spoke on behalf of the elders said such an action was “barbaric and uncalled for in democracy.” 

  He said: “I don’t see any moral justification for hired thugs to stop a sitting senator and a PDP member from canvassing for support in any part of this country. I am surprised.

 “It is ironical that the same Udom Emmanuel the thugs claimed was only free to campaign in Essien Udom just two days ago was given a reception by the people of Eket Federal constituency and purportedly adopted him for 2015 without any violence”.

  The elders said, “this kind of development is not healthy because it could create room for a reprisal attack, which we as elders must work hard to stop in the interest of peace.”

The Elders who alleged that the attack on Senator Esuene was masterminded, appealed to the leadership of the party, the state and federal governments to look into the incident saying, “as we speak, we do not even know what happened to many other law abiding party members the thugs attacked.” 

It is recalled that on Wednesday at about 3.45 pm Senator Esuene’s campaign team was attacked by unknown tugs as she was addressing a crowd of party enthusiasts, led by the Chapter Chairman, who had gathered at the party secretariat in Afa Ikot Ebak to listen to her campaign message.

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Gabriel Achong confirmed the incident but however differed on the cause of the crisis.

He said what happened was that at the end of the consultation by the senator and her team, the youths demanded for the normal N1million consultation fee but when they were told that the money was paid into the party account, the youths were annoyed.