JUST IN: Akwa Ibom State Waste Management Agency Boss Arrested

By Vincent Aluu

News filtered in last night that the Hon. Commissioner for Environment and Petroleum Resources, Bar. Ekong Sampson ordered the arrest of Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency Board Chairman, Prince Akpan Ikim and four others.

Although reasons for the arrest remains sketchy as at press time, information at the disposal at AFNews has it that arrest was carried out last night by men of the Nigeria Police.

The Hon. Commissioner through his Media Consultant has since denied responsibility but eye witnesses say the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry was at the scene of the arrest and was seen molesting staff of the Agency fueling suspicion that the Hon. Commissioner is in the know of the arrest.

Efforts to reach the Hon. Commissioner for his side of the story proved abortive as he was not taking his calls but Media Consultant to the Hon. Commissioner, Mr. Paulinus Nnah described the news linking his Boss with the arrest of Prince Ikim and 4 others as laughable and handiwork of mischief makers bent on tarnishing the hard earned reputation of Barr. Sampson.

Nnah said it was unthinkable for Barr. Sampson to order Ikim's arrest stating that the duo have good working relationship and that if there were issues, they would have settled amicably rather than resorting to arrest. He asked the public to discountenance such news and go about their duties as the Hon. Commissioner is poised on delivering on his Ministry's mandate of ensuring a clean, healthy and flood free Akwa Ibom State.

There is also the fear that the arrest may have a direct link with responsibilities of the Agency clashing with that of the parent Ministry.

The Environment Ministry used to be responsible for the sales and collections of certain fees for emblems in the state. These include sanitation emblems, pollution/effluent discharge fees. It is believed that the public statement by the Agency directing corporate organizations, businesses, vehicles and tricycles (keke) operating in the state, that any demand notices for the year 2020 on sanitation emblems, pollution/effluent discharge fees issued by persons or agents other than authorized agents of the Agency or the Akwa Ibom state internal revenue service (AKIRS) should be disregarded may have caused some friction.

Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency is an Agency under the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment and Petroleum Resources. The Agency is being chaired by Prince Akpan Ikim whom many has described as God-sent given the manner in which he has gone about evacuating waste from the streets and cleaning blocked gutters in preparation for the rainy season.

News from the grapevine has it that the Board Chairman has been given unfettered access to the State Governor and may have sidelined the Hon. Commissioner. This may have led to friction between the Hon. Commissioner and the Board Chairman whose Agency is under the direct supervision of the Environment Ministry. Also, some persons are of the view that the arrest may not be unconnected with the friction and power tussle between the duo.

AFNews is investigating the veracity of the arrest claim and will make its findings public as soon as possible.