By Shadrach Okon
The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Akwa Ibom State Chapter, has attributed food scarcity and high cost of food attempts in Akwa Ibom State to illegal activities of market Unions in Akwa Ibom State; high cost of petroleum products and illegal extortion of traders on the road by security men.
IPAC stated this while fielding questions from journalists during a Press briefing organized by IPAC in Uyo.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council noted that extortion of traders by Market Unions like imposition of registration fees to allow entrant into food items business, high cost of petroleum products and illegal activities like extorting money on the road from traders fuel inflation on food items and sabotage government efforts to ensure food sufficiency in the State.
The State Chairman of African National Congress (ANC) Elder Otu Etiebiet who spoke on behalf of IPAC observed with dismay how traders for their selfish gains hoard food items and allocate days for traders to sell their products there by creating artificial scarcity within the market place.
IPAC called on Governor Umo Eno to call the market Unions in the state to order and equally ensure that the petroleum market monitoring team set up in the state constantly monitor filling stations operating within Akwa Ibom State to ensure that they sell petroleum products according to the approved price with the right metering system.
Presenting the address of IPAC during their Press briefing in Uyo, the State Chairman of IPAC Rt.Hon. Blessing Umoh, applauded Governor Eno for the ARISE AGENDA which serves as a framework to uplift Akwa Ibom people and serve as a model of development in Nigeria. The group urged the governor to be resolute in the pursuit of the agenda and promised that IPAC will support the Governor for the progress of the State.
“The ARISE AGENDA is not just a campaign promise; it is a practical framework that has shown tremendous potential to uplift our people and position Akwa Ibom State as a model of development in Nigeria. We urge the Governor to remain resolute in pursuing this agenda and assure him of our unwavering support as a coalition of political parties committed to the progress of our state.”
The leadership of IPAC who described Peace as the foundation of any meaningful development appealed to all stakeholders to give peace a chance, eschewing acts and utterances that could incite division or hinder the progress of our state.
The Inter-Party Advisory Council, Akwa Ibom State Chapter used the opportunity to assure Akwa Ibom people that (IPAC) remains committed to playing its role as a bridge-builder among political parties and a partner in progress with the government for the development of the state.
