Mbo PDP chapter chairman is in real trouble! Barely few days after hosting stakeholders in Mbo to a thank-you-meeting, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Chapter Chairman in the area, Hon. Etetim Isemin, has come under serious scrutiny and condemnation as ward chairmen expressed doubt over his sincerity to run a transparent and accountable administration, Morenews can authoritatively report.
The Mbo PDP chapter chairman had treated party chieftains in the riverine local government area to an appreciative get-together for their contributions to his emergence as PDP helmsman in the oil-rich area, with a pledge to accommodate all shades of interest through an inclusive and transparent administration.
But most of his ward chairmen have come out to tell Morenews that their experience with him after the meeting has cast distrust over the sincerity of his proclamation, accusing him of pilfering party fund.
The bone of contention, that is now hunting the Mbo PDP chapter chairman, was the appropriation and sharing of partof the donations the party obtained at the meeting.
The party, Morenews learnt, got more than a million naira as donations at the end of the gathering, with the deputy coordinator of the Divine Mandate, Governor Udom Emmanuel campaign organisation, Chief Eyo Edet, donating N900,000 and a pledge to furnish the party secretariat while Mrs. Mary Inyang gave N100,000 for the smooth take off of the new party executives, after Mbo Local Government Chairman, Hon Asuquo Eyo, donated fund for the renting of the party secretariat.
Morenews investigation revealed that the chapter executives met after the meeting and set aside N200, 000 to augment the transport fares of all principal party officers, with N150,000 allotted to chapter executives, while the Mbo PDP chapter chairman insisted that N50,000 (5,000 each) should be given to the 10 ward chairmen in area.
Hon Isemin, Morenews gathered, took custody of the N50,000 for onward delivery to the ward chairmen but failed to do so, amidst protest from the ward chairmen.
The matter got busted when some chapter executives, who sensed foul play, started calling the ward chairmen to confirm whether the chapter chairman had given them their transport fares.
Irked by the development, the ward chairmen confronted the chapter chairman who denied being in possession of such money, insisting that there was no such provision for ward chairmen.
“As I speak, none of us has received that money even when Papa Ekpenyong from Ebughu and the Publicity Secretary of the party, Bush (Ukoh) Udombo, have confirmed it.
“Is that how Jet (Hon Etetim Isemin) wants to kick-start his administration, by sidelining the ward chairmen, by pocketing our money? If the N200, 000 transport fare was meant for the chapter executives only, why did he remove N50,000 in our name?
“(Hon Etetim) Isemin is starting in a wrong note. If he cannot be faithful in what is less, how can we trust in big things? If he can be caught stealing things of little value, then we are in trouble. I am highly disappointed; we are beginning to lose confidence in him. I can now see why some party chieftains were against his emergence but we were impressed upon to stand by him. Is this how he wants to pay us back?, an aggrieved ward chairman queried.
The situation has caused no little disagreement in the new PDP executives particularly among the chapter officers who also feel that Hon Etetim Isemin cunningly tried to shortchange them using the name of ward chairmen.
A cross section of chapter officers, Morenews gathered, have vowed never to let the matter lying down, claiming that the chapter chairman has started showing signs of someone capable of playing fast one on them.
But one chapter officer, who regretted the development, was of the view that it was too early for dissenting views to be heard in the new executive, describing the development as “a storm in a tea cup” stirred by disgruntled elements who want to create tensions out of nothing.