The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, has suspended his Press Secretary, Emmanuel Ebong, over a controversial statement announcing the Assembly’s planned return to its chambers, currently under renovation.
The suspension followed a statement issued on 2 June titled, “AKHA to Resume Plenary at Udo Udoma Complex Next Week,” which the speaker’s office described as unauthorised and misleading.
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In a suspension notice dated 3 June, the speaker, Mr Otong, said the publication was issued solely at the directive of Mr Ebong without his approval.
“The publication was issued without the knowledge or authorisation of the Speaker. The action by Mr Ebong is a serious breach of official protocol and constitutes insubordination and an abuse of office,” the statement said.
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The development comes days after a security standoff disrupted plenary proceedings of the assembly at the Government House, Uyo, where lawmakers have been sitting pending the renovation of the assembly complex.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that lawmakers and security operatives clashed over security procedures at the Government House gate on 2 June, forcing the assembly to suspend its sitting.
Conflicting accounts
Shortly after the incident, a statement from the speaker’s office signed by Mr Ebong said Mr Otong had directed the Chairman of the House Committee on House Services, Lawrence Udoide, to ensure that the assembly chamber at the Udo Udoma complex was ready for legislative business by the following week.
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The statement was attributed to the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Jerry Otu, who reportedly briefed journalists after the incident.
However, Mr Otu denied making such a statement when contacted by PREMIUM TIMES.
“I never said House of Assembly members would sit at the old chambers that is under renovation. That would be strange because work is ongoing there,” he said.
“These are representatives from various constituencies. If anything happens, they will blame the governor for exposing members. So, that information was not proper.”
PREMIUM TIMES contacted some House of Assembly correspondents in the State. However, the journalists reached said they were already seated in plenary, waiting for the commencement of sitting on the said date, and that they were not immediately aware of the security standoff and did not attend the briefing by Mr Otu.
The journalists suggested that those Mr Otu may have addressed, thinking they were journalists, were media aides to the lawmakers.
Two media aides attached to different lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly, disputed the speaker’s claim.
One of them said he was present during the interaction with journalists and heard Mr Otu say the speaker had directed the House Services Committee to prepare the Assembly complex for resumption.
“I heard with my two ears when the chairman of the House Committee on Information said that the speaker had given the House Services Committee instructions to ensure that they return to the House of Assembly complex next week,” the aide said.
“The Press Secretary simply went with that because it came from a credible source.”
The second aide said the statement may have been intended to pressure the executive over delays in completing renovation work at the Assembly complex.
“The statement backfired because, from what I heard, the governor became angry and felt it suggested an executive-legislature clash,” the aide said.
“So, the Press Secretary is simply the fall guy. The House understands this, which is why he was only suspended. He may still be reinstated.”
A PREMIUM TIMES finding shows that although the House Services Committee is expected to supervise the renovation of the project, the Committee has little power over its completion, as the work is actually supervised by the Akwa Ibom State Direct Labour Committee, which is under the executive.
Press secretary declines comment
When contacted, Mr Ebong declined to comment on whether he relied on information provided by the information committee chairman before issuing the statement.
“I don’t have anything to say. It is normal. Just know that there is no conflict between the executive and the legislature,” he said.
READ ALSO: Akwa Ibom communities threaten legal action against oil firms over pollution
Labour Party reacts
Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Labour Party said the incident raised concerns about the independence of the legislature and the state of democratic governance.
In a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Ime Silas, the party said the security standoff and subsequent conflicting statements from assembly officials had created uncertainty about relations between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The party said the incident emphasises the need to complete renovation work at the assembly complex immediately to provide lawmakers with an independent environment in which to carry out their constitutional duties.
“The legislature must be allowed to function without fear, coercion, or external interference,” the party said.
It also called on the executive arm of government to respect the autonomy of the legislature and urged the assembly leadership to protect its institutional independence.
The controversy has renewed public attention on the prolonged renovation of the Assembly complex at Udo Udoma Avenue, where lawmakers previously conducted legislative business before relocating to the Government House.
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