Misplaced Priorities of Eket Council Executive 

Misplaced Priorities of Eket Council Executive 

By Usoro Nssien

In the political tarrain of Akwa Ibom State, specifically within the corridors of the Eket Local Government Council, we are witnessing a peculiar trend that blurs the lines between administrative duty and political “eye-service.”

The recent wave of press releases from Supervisors and Special Advisers, all scrambling to debunk rumors regarding the impeachment of the Council Chairman, Mr. Akaninyene Tommey, raises a fundamental question about our understanding of the rule of law.

While their loyalty to their principal is noted, their public posturing is legally misplaced and democratically confusing.

To put things in clear perspective, we must look at how our local government system is structured.

A Local Government Council functions much like a miniature version of the State or Federal Government. It has an Executive arm (led by the Chairman and supported by his appointed Supervisors and Advisers) and a Legislative arm, composed of the elected Councilors.

In this setup, the Supervisors are effectively the “Ministers” or “Commissioners” of the local government. They are appointees of the Chairman, serve at his pleasure, and are part and parcel of his office.

The power to impeach or remove a Council Chairman does not lie with the Supervisors or the Special Advisers.

According to the Nigerian Constitution and the various State Local Government Laws, that heavy constitutional hammer is swung exclusively by the Legislative Council, the Councilors. It is the Councilors who represent the various wards, and it is they who have the legal mandate to investigate, deliberate, and vote on the removal of a Chairman if there is a case of “gross misconduct.”

Therefore, when Supervisors and Special Advisers rush to the press to “refute” impeachment rumors, it feels like a physician trying to defend a lawyer’s case in court. It is a classic case of a “busybody” intervention.

Since they have no vote in an impeachment proceeding and no constitutional role in the process of removal, their public defense carries no legal weight. If there truly were an impeachment move, it would be happening in the legislative chambers among the Councilors, not in the offices of the Chairman’s aides.

This trend is disappointing because it suggests a lack of role clarity.

When appointees take it upon themselves to fight a battle that belongs to the legislature, it creates a noisy political environment where the truth is buried under layers of sycophancy.

Instead of the executive team focusing on delivering dividends of democracy to the people of Eket (fixing roads, improving markets, and ensuring local security) they are seemingly preoccupied with being the Chairman’s “shield” against rumors they have no power to influence legally.

One might ask, why the desperation?

In our local politics, silence is often mistaken for disloyalty. These appointees likely feel that if they do not shout their support from the rooftops, they might be suspected of being part of the “enemy camp.” However, this culture of “press-release governance” only weakens our institutions. It makes the public wonder if the Council is being run based on constitutional principles or on the whims of a defense squad. If the Chairman is performing well and the Councilors are satisfied, no amount of rumor-mongering can unseat him.

If there is a genuine rift, it is the Councilors the public should be hearing from, as they are the ones with the constitutional “keys” to the Chairman’s office.

Ultimately, we must demand more from our local leaders. We need Supervisors who are busy supervising projects and Advisers who are giving sound advice on development, not those who spend their working hours acting as self-appointed spokesmen for impeachment matters that are outside their jurisdiction.

Clarity of roles is the first step towards a functional democracy.

Usoro Nssien | Feb. 2, 2026.