Commissioner challenges A’Ibom first lady, “I am leader of women, you can’t stop me”

By Florence Kalu

It’s no longer a rumour, the cold war/rivalry between the Wife of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mrs Martha Udom Emmanuel and the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Glory Edet seems to have gone full throttle.

The just concluded grand finale of the 2022 Women’s day celebration was a good opportunity for the Commissioner to flex her weight.

According to a privileged information to Nation Update, there has been a noticeable faceoff between the duo, as the First Lady, according to the source had allegedly become uncomfortable with the influence the commissioner is suspected to have on the Governor.

At Ibom Hall grounds venue of the International Women’s day celebrations, the Commissioner openly rebuffed instruction of the First Lady.

Some of the women leaders who explained the reasons behind the uproar to newsmen reported that the First Lady to have asked wives of all 31 Local Government Chairmen to mobilise women for the event.

Daily Independent gathered that the arrangement was that each Local Government First Lady would bring 40 women with 2 buses each.

“While Wife of Ini Local Government Chairman, Mrs Edith Idaisin who is also the Women Coordinator of Maintain Peace Movement, Ini Chapter brought women from Ini with 2 buses, as directed by the First Lady through the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Ini Adiakpan, the Commissioner brought 5 buses filled with women from across different local government areas in the state to the venue of the event to disrupt it and embarrassed the First Lady of the State”.

“The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ini Adiakpan, who didn’t find Dr Edet’s action reasonable, approached her and inquired from her the meaning of her actions, Dr Adiakpan’s question, led to an eruption of a severe argument which led to an exchange of verbal abuses between Dr Glory Edet who was supported by her sister and Mrs Ini Adiakpan”. The source explained

Explaining her position, the Agric Commissioner said “ 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.

Our correspondent reports that the argument and physical combat between the duo of Dr Edet with the other women as they wanted to occupy the canopy kept for Ini Women which were led by Mrs Idaisin continued till the First Lady, Mrs Martha Emmanuel arrived at the venue of the event.

During the match pass, Dr Glory 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, a fresh fracas ensued and Mrs Emmanuel had to send Senator Akon Eyaenyi to speak with Edet to maintain decorum.

The Agric Commissioner was sighted shouting at the Senator and insisted that her women would partake in the match 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, 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 prompted Glory to shout: “ 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.”

Glory’s refusal to oblige with Martha’s directive led to a fight between the women that she brought and the Ini women who came with Mrs Edith Idaisin.

The security details attached to the commissioner were seen engaging in a serious fight with those who came with the wife of Chairman of Ini LGA 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 the Commissioner and her women out of the venue

It was further observed that Edet who also made a different feeding arrangement for her women, approached the podium and made attempt to climb and take her seat, that was rebuffed by the organizers of the event who at that time were angry and shouted angrily at her not too near that place.

Her subsequent attempts to climb the podium, from the rear, so as to get to her seat devoid of the directive of Martha, again, were prevented by security operatives who blocked her and finally discharged her from the event ground.

Women from Onna, the governor’s home, who felt that the Wife of their son was not accorded due respect as the First Lady of the state confronted Glory and more fights ensued and security men attached to the Government House were seen rallying to maintain peace.

A Government House source who confided with our Correspondent at the venue lamented that “Glory has made it part of her habit to insult and snub the First Lady on every occasion”.