The perennial personality clash between the Akwa Ibom State First Lady, Martha Udom Emmanuel, and the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Glory Edet, came to a head on Monday when Emmanuel could no more stomach the insults of the Commissioner and had to order security men to bundle her out of an occasion.
The event was the International Women’s Day celebrations at which the Commissioner not only flouted protocol and laid down directives, but openly insulted the First Lady of the state.
It was learnt that the First Lady had asked the wives of all 31 Local Government chairmen to mobilise women for the event held at Ibom Hall ground, IBB Avenue, Uyo.
The arrangement was that each Local Government First Lady should bring 40 women in two buses.
While the wife of Ini Local Government Chairman from where Edet hails, Edith Idaisin, who is also the Women Coordinator of Maintain Peace Movement, Ini Chapter, brought women from Ini in two buses, as directed by the First Lady through the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Ini Adiakpan, Edet allegedly brought buses filled with women from across different local government areas in the state to the venue of the event to disrupt it and embarrass the First Lady of the state.
Adiakpan, who didn’t find Edet’s action reasonable, approached her and inquired from her the meaning of her actions.
But instead of calming the situation, that intervention erupted into a rowdy argument and exchange of words between Edet, who was supported by her sister, and Adiakpan.
“I am the Dean of Commissioners and leader of all the women in the state. I have the right to bring women to the event and there is nothing anyone can do to stop me,” Edet was heard screaming.
The argument and physical combat between the duo of Dr. Edet and the women she brought as they wanted to occupy the canopy for Ini women, led by Idaisin, lasted till Mrs. Emmanuel arrived at the venue of the event.
During the march pass, Edet stood up from the podium where she was seated and asked her women to enter the line, an action which again was rejected by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, leading to a fracas.
The First Lady then had to send Senator Akon Eyaenyi to ask Edet to leave the place as she had nothing doing there.
She shouted at the Senator and was still adamant that her women should partake of the march pass.
This was also rejected by the women who came with the Chairman’s wife.
In her effort to further calm nerves, the First Lady asked the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Felicia Bassey, to approach Dr. Edet to jettison her effort to showcase her women since the wife of the Ini chairman has already brought Ini women in compliance to her directive.
This resulted in more trouble as Dr. Edet shouted: “I am the leader of all women in this state, Dean of all Commissioners and the incoming member representing Ini/Ikono Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives.
“Nobody here can stop me.”
Dr. Edet’s refusal to adhere to the First Lady’s directive led to a fight between the women that she brought and the Ini women who came with Idaisin.
The security details attached to Dr. Edet engaged in a serious fight with those who came with the wife of the Chairman of Ini and at that point, Government House security details were drafted in and together with Felix Ekuri “Only God” Security team, they were able to send them out of the venue on the orders of the First :ady.
That done, Dr. Edet, who made a different feeding arrangement for the women that she brought, approached the podium and made attempt to climb and take her seat, but was rebuffed by the First Lady, who at that time visibly angry and shouted at her not come near but should be taken away by the security team.
This was carried out as she was bundled away and molested by the security agents.
Her attempt to smuggle herself onto the podium by using the back to get to her seat against the directive of the governor’s wife was again scuttled by the security operatives who blocked her and again dragged her away from the event ground.
The First Lady, who felt highly embarrassed, left the venue of the event midway into the activities and the event stopped abruptly due to the rancour Edet caused.
When the First Lady left, people from Onna, who felt that the wife of their son was not accorded due respect as the First Lady of the state, descended on the women that Edet hired to the event and more blows were exchanged.
They were advancing toward beating up Edet but she was rescued and spirited away by her security guards.
Government House sources said that Dr. Edet, who has served as commissioner since the first term of Godswill Akpabio, has made it part of her habit to insult Mrs. Emmanuel, especially as her aspiration to go to the House of Representatives has not been supported by the First Lady.
“Nobody knows what kind of relationship she and the governor have that even if the first lady is insulted by her, the governor wouldn’t mind; but even appears to be supporting her,” the source said.
When contacted, the Deputy Speaker, Princess Felicia Bassey, politely declined to speak on the matter.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Ini Adiakpan neither answered calls nor responded to the text messages sent to her on the matter.
Dr. Glory Edet’s Airtel number was switched by 4pm that calls were put across to her.
Daily Sun.
