… As Cross River Stakeholders kick
By Ezeocha Nzeh
Amidst protest by a group of Cross Rivers state All Progressives Congress (APC) Stakeholders, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last Cross Rivers state election, Senator John Owan Enoh has defended his inclusion as member of the APC National Reconciliation Comminittee
The APC National Working Committee (NWC) recently constituted a National Reconciliation Committee, as directed by the NEC wit the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan as chairman, while Senator John Owan Enoh was appointed Secretary, to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party.
The former Cross River Central Senatorial District Senator, while reacting to a petition against his membership of the committee maintained that he has the credentials to be on the Committee.
The defence of Senator Owan Enoh, who has been designated Secretary of the Reconciliation Committee came as a result of petition against him from a group of APC members from Cross River State.
The group, Concerned members of the All Progressives Congress, Cross River State had petitioned I their petition to the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole asked for the review of the membership of the NRC, with the demand that Senator Enoh’s name should be dropped.
The group argued that Senator Enough lacked the credentials to be a member of the NRC, since he is also part of the crisis in Cross River State APC.
In the petition, which was signed by Hon. Busa Thomas Osowo Bisong and Pastor Hon. Kingsley A. Ebuka, the group also alleged among other things, that Senator Owan Enoh is a disloyal party member.
“Without prejudice to the efforts of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to revive the party, we regret the composition of the National Reconciliation Committee because it shows open bias.
“While it is agreed that reconciliation is crucial and imminent in politics, a reconciliatory process should not be carried out to evoke provocation and abuse the sensibilities of the various actors and interest groups.
“Therefore, the members of the reconciliation committee must consist of party men and women of proven character and whose participation in the party is consistent and traceable to the merger of 2014. It must consist of men and women with unbiased and non-factional disposition: individuals who have the capacity to foster internal democracy in the party.
“Such is lacking in the recently constituted National Reconciliation Commiittee; with specific reference to Sen. John Owan Enoh (the 2019 factional Gubernatorial Candidate of the APC in Cross River State) who joined the Party in 2018 and has been announced the Secretary of the reconciliation committee. John Enoh‘s membership in the committee makes him a Judge in his case; this is an error, and makes the reconciliatory effort dead on arrival. He is in the eye of the storm of the crisis rocking APC Cross River State and should not be in the committee.”
But in swift reaction, Senator Enoch, who dismissed the allegations in a statement issued by his media consultant, Missang Obama, described the petitioners as enemies of APC, adding that they were working with the former Minister of Niger Delta, Usani Ubani to cause more damage to the party in Cross Rivers state.
He provided details of his commitment to the APC in Cross River State and his desire towards reconciliation in the state.
According to the statement the petition ls replete with heated rhetoric and caustic pathological falsehood. The tactics of the petitioners appear intended to mask their moral deficiencies as they keep revellng In their pervasive penchant to distort facts.
“Their baseless allegations were framed with the purpose of distracting and diverting the attention of the party from the central issue of reconciling all aggrieved members.
“It Is rather ridiculous and extremely unfortunate that almost one year after the general elections, some people are still hell bent on dragging the party backward. This is a clear evidence of their lack of confidence in even the national leadership of the party and their insatiable urge to keep groping in the trenches. We make bold to say that no one has been more reconciliatory and accommodating than the distinguished Senator in Cross River APC.
“After the primaries, he made spirited efforts and offered olive branch to all the aggrieved candidates and desired they work together.”
