Akwa Ibom Senator In Soup, May be jail before 2019 general elections
Regardless of being a lawmaker at the highest law making body of the country, the Senator, Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District, Obong Bassey Albert is rather being seen as becoming popular in 'lawbreaking', having allegedly been neck deep in series of criminal activities.
The senator is said to have committed an act of contempt of the court, after he allegedly directed his engineer to further develop his vast landed property which was under dispute.
This was after a state high court sitting in Uyo had issued an order of injunction, restraining him or any other person from further developing the property, a 15,000 square metre land at Ifa Ikot Akpan in Uyo Local Government Area.
The case is said to have begun when the senator, in August, 2016, allegedly directed officials of the Uyo Capital City Development Authority, (UCCDA) to demolish about 11 houses belonging to private individuals in the estate. The act was obviously carried out with the belief that every piece of land in the area belonged to him (the senator).
Findings revealed that Ekere Affia, a former lawmaker in the state was contracted by Senator Bassey Albert who was then the finance commissioner in the state, to buy some landed property for him in Uyo. Affia, a former member, representing Uyo State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, is said to have been very close to Albert.
Albert had allegedly given him about N230 million to acquire the land from villagers in the area.
It was gathered that some villagers in the area had refused selling their land to Ekere, apparently because he may not have been willing to pay them due amount in exchange for their lands.
Other people actually bought lands from the indigenes and put up their houses before it was time for Albert to think of developing his supposed acquired vast landed property.
It could be recalled that Senator Albert's empowerment and constituency briefing programme of events, as senator representing Uyo at the red chambers, on Friday, April 20, 2018, tagged, "Celebrating God's Faithfulness", displayed photographs of a wide area of land said to be a space for the gigantic multipurpose event centre at Ifa Ikot Akpan, Uyo.
The place sits on a 15,000 square metre acres of land and the photographs in the programme are contained in pages 98 and 99 respectively.
One of the victims of the demolition, Toyin Sunday Ukpong was said to have slumped and lost consciousness on hearing the development, having been in labour at the Premiere Hospital in Edet Akpan Avenue, Uyo. She was reportedly exposed to critical health conditions and had to be closely managed to survive with her 2-day old baby.
Consequently, some of the victims joined forces to institute a legal battle against the offenders, including the senator, Affia, Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) and Universal Estate Management.
Victims who jointly initiated the suit in the State High Court, Uyo were: Mr Felix Wilson Edem, Toyin Sunday Ukpong, Mr Sunday Awa, Mr Hilary Bassey and Mr Sunday Udofot Ekerika.
Independent investigations, however showed that the case was first initiated against the UCCDA whose officials did the demolition and Affia.
Slated for first hearing in November, 2016 and the second on December 20, 2016 without appearances of both defendants, the case progressed with the later appearance of Affia who told the court that the land in question belonged to the senator.
Counsel to the first defendant, UCCDA, while appearing in court 11 in response to the Suit No: HU/353/2016, filed a preliminary injunction asking the court to dismiss the suit, because, according to them, the prosecuting counsel did not satisfy preliminary action of notification. They pleaded the court to strike out the case, as it concerned them.
In that instant, counsel to the claimants immediately filed a counter affidavit, telling the court that necessary preliminary requirements were satisfied and that the court should strike out the injunction. With due evidence of service made available to the court, the application was struck out in favour of the claimants.
As the case progressed, massive building, apparently being done by the senator was on-going at the site. To this end, the court issued an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining anyone from further building or constructing anything on the land pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The injunction came sequel to a motion on notice, filed on February 19, 2018 by counsel to the plaintiffs, praying for the relief that ongoing development of the land in dispute should be halted.
The injunction dated April 25, 2018 and signed by the presiding judge, Mr Justice Aniekan Eton Akpan, reads thus in parts: "it is hereby ordered as follows: that an order of interlocutory injunction be and is hereby made restraining the respondents, jointly or severally, by themselves, their agents, privies, servants and or persons acting on their behalf and instruction, from doing any manner of work or construction on the vacant parcels of land at Akwa Idak Ukana, which is the subject matter of this suit, pending the determination of the substantive suit".
Surprisingly, work was seen going on at the site in August and, upon the notification of the police, one person was arrested while others were said to have escaped.
The culprit who has since been in detention at the Shelter Afrique Police Station was clearing the grass at the site, having been contracted by the site engineer who has also absconded.
Meanwhile, many have made unsuccessful attempts to plead for the release of the labourer but the Divisional Police Officer has stood his grounds, refusing his release, having been issued with the court order.
TNN learnt that counsel to the plaintiffs is instituting a contempt suit against the senator who would have to tell the court why he chose to undermine its powers by flouting the injunction order.
However, legal luminaries and human rights activists who spoke with TNN condemned Affia and the UCCDA officials for carrying out the illegal act, insisting that only the court had the authority to order for demolition of any illegal building.
On his part, Inibehe Effiong, a lawyer, stated that anyone who flouts the order of the court is liable of being jailed for contempt. He noted that if it is admitted that further developing work was done on the land in dispute after the order of injunction was issued by the court, the culprit has to be sent to jail.
Michael Bassey, also a lawyer, while doubting the veracity of such conduct from a lawmaker, noted that the senator may be jailed before the 2019 general elections, especially if the contempt suit is swiftly decided.
He said there's no pretence about contempt and that none can escape from its consequence, if found to be culpable.
TNN
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