Trail Reporters
The last may not have been heard of the crisis currently rocking the land sales and the tilapia island project, where it was supposedly meant to be Abak local government project, which the caretaker chairman, Emma Udosen was said to have executed, in which commissioning was marked with fanfare.
There are allegations of illegal transactions which took place during the land purchase, carried out by the caretaker chairman, Emma Udosen, Aniekan Umanah, Udo Isobara, Moses Ekpo, the State Deputy Governor, Friday Iwok, member representing Abak state constituency, Emman Ekon, Federal House member, representing Abak, Etim Ekpo, Ika and others.
Although sources claimed the land has not been out rightly sold, some youths informed Trail Reporters that a paltry sum of one million Naira (N1,000.000) was given to the youths of the area, to calm their nerves.
Revelations have emerged over the land, which is said to belong to some indigenes of Abak and Ediene with portions of the land also belonging to the state government.
We gathered that, Udo Isobara, the former Accountant General, had used his influence and former position to acquire the land, alongside the former Prison barracks land, currently being demolished, which is to be used for a Civic center.
Further findings show that, Udo Isobara, in an attempt to escape from the bad books of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), had approached Emma Udosen, to take over and act as a front for the tilapia project, which was posed as one of Emma Udosen’s projects in the local government, which he gladly accepted, with a mouth watering deal. Said to be in millions of Naira as benefit to him, even when out of office as Chairman.
The tilapia island was posed as a government project, which made the EFCC not to come after Isobara anymore,as was earlier planned.
Youths in the area have further alleged that, several lands belonging to Abak local government, which includes NITEL, Waterside, Am radio station and also the land located in front of the Abak stadium, have been illegally sold in the same manner, the tilapia land was sold in secrecy.
Although the Tilapia Island, findings reveals, belongs to Isobara, it would not have been easy to collect the land from the villagers at a cheap price, if the Government officials who are Abak citizens, were not involved.
The former Commissioner for Information in Akwa Ibom State, Mr.Aniekan Umanah, in a facebook post, came out to deny ever being involved in any Tilapia project. When Trail Reporters news desk called Emma Udosen on his mobile number 081360115** to get his reaction on the story, he never answered.
