Response By Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency Media Professionals To The Fabricated Lies of Calistus Uko Against All Progressive Congress and Senator Ekong Sampson

 

 

Some fundamental errors that even a kindergarten would easily spot out or notice on reading through an attention -seeking press release by Calistus Uko, the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Ikot Abasi Local Government Chapter, is the hollowness and unilaterility of the Press release, riddled with fallacy of false dilemma, wild assumptions, and stolen identity. 

While he calls it a personal Press Release, but using the Office of the Publicity Secretary ",the most fitting name for it is a farrago by a perpetual depressed mind that is consigned to appreciate anything factual and altruistic in his life. In other words, if Calistus Uko has had the slightest presence of mind and patience to have consulted the Chapter Chairman of All Progressive Congress in Ikot Abasi,Mr. Bassey Abasiute and other leaders of the APC in Ikot Abasi who were in that meeting and also received the 2025 Christmas rice and Money meant for Ikot Abasi APC, he certainly would have been advised against his wild imaginations and the futility of his cause that now have been an object of public ridicule. But that is the natural prize for ego and presumptuousness. 

However, to protect gullible members of the public who are his ultimate targets, it became expedient that matters be put in proper perspectives to fortify the trust the masses have in distinguished Senator Ekong Sampson; preserve the collective intelligence and perception of the informed public and help them know Calistus Uko better when he attempts to do similar thing in the near future since that has become his new trade.

On the whole, so as not to waste precious time on trivialities, We have chosen to present the response of one of the stakeholders of APC and former Vice Chairman of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Hon. Etop Enang who was in attendance at the meeting and also raise only two issues. 

The first issue is that at the said meeting that the Chapter Chairman of APC in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Mr. Bassey Abasiute was physically present including the Chairman , Forum of APC Ward Chairmen in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Comrade Emem Ikpo who is also the Ward Chairman of Ikpa Ibekwe Ward, Mrs Elizabeth Williams,Sir Ubong Udom and others, Calistus Uko, still struggle in vain to prioritise rice over development in the name of attacking Senator Ekong Sampson. We advise him not to take his frustration and broken political relevance to the doorstep of Senator Ekong Sampson who is giving Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, an Impactful and result- oriented representation.

To show that no responsible politician in Ikot Abasi is ready to join Calistus Uko in his macabre dance, on stumbling on the ill-advised and inconsequential press release, one of the Stakeholders in Ikot Abasi, Hon. Etop Enang did not waste time to debunk his infantile claims. 

Two, his sour imaginations Distinguished Senator Ekong Sampson and Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, has no hand in the fresh hopes for the revitalization of ALSCON, occasioned by his renewed advocacy and consistent calls, sponsorship of a bill to give the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi( FUTIA ), a legal backing, ongoing construction of Medical facility in Ikot Abasi General Hospital, award of about 40 slots to indigent students of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area in the recently disbursement of 100 Million Naira Education Grant to 500 Hundred Students with each taking not less than #200,000 , construction of academic block at Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, facilitation of employment of indigenes of Ikot Abasi in Federal MDAs, reinstatement of Ikot Abasi indigene who was unjustly dismissed from Service in a federal Government Establishment and many others is an unpardonable assault on facts and records that can only elicit soul-searching inquiries.

 First, the ill-conceived Press Release shows how distant Calistus Uko is from reality and still living in the past. 

Even the blind knows Senator Ekong Sampson is one of the few senators whose stellar performance, robust legislative engagements, Sound articulations of issues of national and regional importance in the foor of the Senate, execution of life- touching projects and programmes in the areas of quality infrastructure, health, Education, Skills Acquisition and capacity building and has enjoyed repeated headlines on quality representation and rave reviews in state-based and national dailies, including New Media platforms - all for reason of outstanding performance in a Senatorial District that has over the years, been grossly deprived of the quality dividends of democracy .

The question that is begging for answer from Calistus Uko is nntil the coming of Senator Ekong Sampson, when in recent memory was ALSCON and related collective concerns of Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District became the front burner of discourse in the National Assembly? When was the last time we heard a Senator from Eket Senatorial District donate over N100m in support of education in the Senatorial District? When last did Eket Senatorial District have a representative who attract the quality of projects and sponsors quality capacity-building workshops and seminars for diverse groups and professionals in the senatorial district, the way Senator Ekong Sampson is doing? 

When did the Senatorial District have a senator who periodically debriefs stakeholders and the entire Constituents and shuttles Abuja and Eket Senatorial District on almost weekly basis to attend to the needs of his Constituents?

 Indeed, how often did constituents previously see or interface with their senators in years past, compare to the level of accessibility Senator Ekong Sampson is providing his constituents?

Calistus must have to present such records for comparative critiques, to justify his impudence and ingratitude to God who by His Grace has brought Senator Ekong Sampson to the equation for a paradigm shift for senatorial district that contributes the highest percentage of revenue to National and State coffers by virtue of its stupendous natural resources. 

For this reason, members of the public are pleased advised to promptly discard Calistus's recent umbrage that essentially aimed at trading falsehood, ingiting needless vendetta, and heating up the polity in order to satisfy his selfishness. For now, as Senator Ekong Sampson has folded his sleeves to deliver more dividends of democracy , every stakeholder and patriotic member of Ikot Abasi Federal constituency across board and indeed the entire Senatorial District are working shoulder to shoulder to sustain the momentum of change in Senator Ekong Sampson is providing to the Senatorial District.

Prioritising rice over development and goodwill Ekong Sampson is attracting to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency is an act of gross intentional disrespect to the integrity and reputation of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area and her People.

If the entire stakeholders of Eket Senatorial District have recently passed a vote of confidence on Senator Ekong Sampson and endorsed him for a second term, Mr. Callistus Uko is too insignificant to use the platform giving to him by stakeholders of APC in Ikot Abasi to cast a slur on a personality whose pedigree, integrity, unblemished record of dedicated public Service and unquestionable democratic credentials he cannot fault.

As we approach election season, We wish to use this medium to advise politicians to refrain from sensational commentaries and rhetoric, especially in the social media and not to truncate the prevailing peace we are currently enjoying in our Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency.

Below is a reaction from one of the stakeholders who attended the meeting Where APC leadership Structure in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area received rice and cash from the delegation of Senator Ekong Sampson,PhD.

"IGNORE THE PURPORTED WRITE UP BY CALISTUS UKO

He cannot claim that the ceremony that was verifiable did not take place. As an Elder of APC in Ikot Abasi LGA, I was there in person and I witnessed the ceremony. The APC Chapter Chairman and his entire Executive, Elders, Ward Chairmen, were present. The fact that he, CALISTUS UKO, was not there cannot nullify the ceremony. His write up is false, imagination of his heart and aimed at confusing the reading public in that he want to introduce the politics of calumny in this new dispensation. 

Hon. Etop Enang

Fmr. Vice Chairman

Ikot Abasi LGA."

May God help Calistus Uko!

Signed

Comrade Michael Francis 

Acting Chairman, Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency Media Professionals.

12- 01- 2026