Indigenes accuse Community Head of electricity transformer theft in Ukat, Nigeria

Hue and cry have erupted in Ukat Nsit Village in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area as the Acting Village Head, Chief Sunday Paul Inyang has allegedly gone on a reckless spree of selling off properties of the community and pocketing the proceeds.

Our correspondent learnt that soon after the former Village Head of the community, the Late Eteidung Bassey Ben Nkanga passed away, and was laid to rest in December 2020, Chief Sunday Paul Inyang, being the eldest among the family heads in the community, was given the nod to oversee the affairs of the village pending the formal selection of a new village Head.

It was gathered that the acting Village Head capitalized on his new role as acting Village Head to embark on sales of properties belonging to the village at will and threatened those who dared to oppose him.

According to information pieced together, the electric transformer secured and left behind by the late village Head,  Eteidung Nkanga  got  missing soon after Chief Inyang started superintending over the affairs of the community.

The villagers said he rebuffed enquires on the missing transformer and instead threatened those who are bold enough to approach him on the matter.

They also alleged that the acting Village Head is fond of selling village lands, harvesting of community palm fruits, felling of woods in their forest at will and the proceeds pocketed by him without rendering any account.

It was further gathered that the community land earmarked for health centre project is also about being sold by him.

“This is the situation we have found ourselves since Chief Sunday Paul Inyang became our interim village Head. We have a case of missing transformer; community lands sold and currently, he wants to sell the land kept build health centre,” one of the family heads who pleaded not to be named, said.

It was also reported that he stopped the women association from holding meetings at the community Town Hall for no reason.

“It’s a sad development in our village. He came to the council hall on a meeting day and ordered the women not to hold meetings there any longer,” a woman leader told our correspondent.

The indigenes called on Governor Umo Eno to direct the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to step into the matter and save the community from loss of assets and totalitarian rule.

The Chairman of the village Council, Chief Uko Sunday Sampson and the Village Secretary, Mr Udeme George Etim, declined to speak on the matter.

Efforts to reach the acting Village Head, Chief Inyang, on the allegations was abortive. Insiders in the village advised our correspondent to tread on the matter with caution as the acting Village Head would resort to violence at his residence.