Photo: Ita Enang, Onofiok Luke attended 70th UN General Assembly in New York

From L-R: Special Adviser to President Buhari on National Assembly (Senate) Matters, Sen Ita Solomon Enang;

Nsit Ubium Representative in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon (Barr) Onofiok Luke; Special Assistant to the President on Media, Femi Adesina and Mr. Sunny Edem, a senior officer of the Nigerian Embassy, USA posing for photo during the 70th UN General Assembly in New York. Mr. Onofiok Luke attended the UN General Assembly via African Youth Platform on SDG's Sustainable Development Goals.

Breaking News: How A’Ibom governor tried to stop Planet FM interview with Ita Enang

By Nse Peter

Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel allegedly tried to stop Planet 101.1 FM, Uyo, from airing its live interview with President Buhari’s Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Ita Enang, Think Akwa Ibom! have been informed.

Mr. Enang, a former senator who represented Uyo Senatorial District, was a studio guest, Saturday, in the radio station interview programme “Community Views”.

Enang’s remarks, especially concerning the DSS controversial raid on the Akwa Ibom Government House is said to have rattled Governor Emmanuel and his political associates which prompted the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah to quickly put a call through to the private radio station asking them to discontinue the interview, a source close to the commissioner told Think Akwa Ibom!

Enang, while defending the reported search on Akwa Ibom Government House by the DSS, said the immunity which the state governor has does not extend to buildings such as government house, government guest houses and government secretariats. He said the search by the secret service was on the state government-owned presidential lodge where Gov. Emmanuel’s predecessor, Godswill Akpabio is housed, and not the official residence of the governor.

“The elders of Akwa Ibom should endeavour to tell the people the truth that the government house has no immunity, that the governor (Udom Emmanuel) is yet to officially occupy the government house,” Enang said, while explaining that the DSS is empowered by the Nigerian constitution to search any location, including government houses, in the country.

The source who informed Think Akwa Ibom! how the state information commissioner tried to stop the radio station from continuing with its interview with Enang, said from Mr. Umanah’s telephone conversation, he was able to deduce that Planet FM wasn’t ready to give in to the government demand.

“From what he (Aniekan Umanah) was saying I could sense that he was disappointed with whoever he was on phone with. He was telling the person that Ita Enang was part of APC’s script to destabilise the government of Udom Emmanuel,” the source said, while quoting the commissioner as saying “the governor feels disappointed that Planet FM has allowed itself to be used as a platform for the opposition in the state”.

Planet FM is yet to respond to Think Akwa Ibom!’s enquiry on the issue.

However, immediately after its interview with Enang, the radio station aired a curious announcement debunking ‘claims’ that they had bias for a particular political party in Akwa Ibom State. The station later went ahead, Sunday, to do a repeat broadcast of the interview with Enang.

Planet FM was involved in a similar controversy, January 2014, when it was accused of blocking Senator Aloysius Etok from speaking on a scheduled live interview allegedly on the orders of the Akwa Ibom State government, during the administration of Godswill Akpabio.

A’Ibom: Ita Enang defends DSS, says “Government House has no immunity”

By Nse Peter

There is no law in Nigeria that says Government House, Uyo has immunity against being searched by security agencies in the country, Ita Enang has said.

Mr. Enang, the immediate past senator who represented Uyo Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State, said during an interview, Saturday, on a Planet 101.1 FM programme “Community Views” that the Department of State Security has the right to search anywhere they suspected was harbouring illegal arms and ammunitions.

Enang said the DSS is empowered to carry out lawfully search in any location within the country as stated in the constitution.  

 “Akwa Ibom people must stand up and say the truth that Government House is not immune to investigation by security agencies,” said Enang who was recently appointed senior special assistant on national assembly matters by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The elders of Akwa Ibom should endeavour to tell the people the truth that the government house has no immunity, that the governor (Udom Emmanuel) is yet to officially occupy the government house,” he repeatedly said during the interview.

Enang said the DSS was only doing their routine job and that there was nothing like ‘invasion’ as reported in the media. He also said that he has spoken with most of the elders whose names appeared on newspaper advertorials condemning the DSS search on Akwa Ibom Government House, and that more than 70 percent of them said they didn’t authorise their names to be used for those publications.

Apparently referring to Governor Udom Emmanuel’s predecessor, Godswill Akpabio who is reportedly still occupying the Akwa Ibom Government House, Uyo, Enang said “After office, you should quit the governor's office and all its appurtenances.”

Enang also spoke on how his relationship will be with Gov. Emmanuel, now that he (Enang) is working with President Buhari. “Our party is in Court with regards to the Governorship Election, but that will not interfere with my closely working with Udom Emmanuel on matters that concern Akwa Ibom people within the context of the constitution since he has been sworn in as governor, because if I fail to do so, Akwa Ibom people will suffer.”