Senator Aloysius Etuk is Chairman, senate Committee on Establishment and Public service. He represents Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State in the National Assembly.
He fielded questions from journalists in Calabar after the inauguration of the South South Zonal Office of the National Pensions Commission on the face-off between him and Gov. Godswill Akpabio’s and the latter’s senatorial ambition in 2015.
He said he has done quite well for his constituent and cannot imagine how people will ask for his recall in the light of his achievements so far.
Here are excerpts as presented by our regional Correspondent, Diana-Okon Effiong:
“I will recall myself from the Senate if there is any senator dead or aliv who has done 20 per cent of what I have done for my people. Only God and my people can stop me.
“I don’t believe those who gave me the mandate would ever want to recall me, because they are so satisfied with my performance, that I have performed exceedingly more than any other senator dead or alive, and I challenge anybody who has performed 20 per cent of what I have done for those people then I would recall myself before my people recall me.
“There has never been any signature for recall. It was mere fraud of people going around, who were attending meetings in various places bringing different attendance sheets and call it signatures. So wait for the next line of action from the people. Not from me.
However I cannot be afraid of recall. If those who gave me the mandate want to recall me, no problem. It will only increase the body of knowledge and that is to say there was a time there was a senator, he was recalled and all that.
“The constitution has not barred anyone from running. The constitution has provided us the opportunity to aspire to the highest office of the land including the senate. So it didn’t say if A is running, B should not run. And if that is open and by the wish of the people and the party and support of God, because it is only God that can stop me, power belongs to God and mandate is of the people.
“I can either be denied the mandate of the people in the field or God would say don’t go, because I listen to God. Every day I pray and ask him for direction. The party has given me the open ground and the constitution has guaranteed that I should do so.
He also spoke on his plans if he is denied the senatorial ticket on the Peoples Democratic Party’s platform. According to him he cannot leave the party he where he is a foundation member in Akwa Ibom for any reason.
“I am for PDP and I cannot decamp. For me I am PDP and not an ordinary PDP member, but one of the founding members of PDP. So I cannot run away from PDP. Run to where? Leave PDP for who?”
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