AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Our attention has been drawn to a paid advertorial entitled “FORUM OF FORMER AIDES TO GOV. GOA, with the rider “FAILURE OF GOVERNOR UDOM EMMANUEL TO PAY OUR STATUTORY SEVERANCE- A Communique which appeared in The Nation newspaper of Friday,June 16th, 2017. page 29.
While a tiny percentage, almost- infinitesimal number of aides to the immediate past Governor of our dear State, the Senate Minority Leader of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio (CON)-a man whom His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel holds in the highest esteem, and whom he addresses as his “Mentor” have every right to agitate for issues pertinent to their welfare. It is however, necessary first and foremost to draw the attention of the public to the outright misrepresentation of who they truly are.
The authentic Forum of the Aides to the immediate past Governor of Akwa lbom State, HE, the Senate Minority Leader, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio (CON) from records available to us, was and is still being headed by Udoh lbanga Esu. This forum is made up of over 90 percent of aides of the immediate past Governor and they are stalwart supporters of the transcendental and people centric administration of His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel. Udo Silas, the self-proclaimed Coordinator of this organized mischief and politically motivated “Forum” has never been an active member of this group and therefore, lacks the moral authority to speak on behalf of the larger group.
We wish to state here that the issue in question had earlier been brought to the attention of His Excellency. Governor Udom Emmanuel, and as a compassionate, thoughtful, and transparent Leader, he had set in motion the mechanics to address the issue and those affected had been fully briefed by the Honourable Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative and Political Affairs-Barrister Ekong Sampson. The Hon. Adviser has been a picture of cooperation and understanding as opposed to showing “disdain to their “matured pleas” as they stated in their communique.
We think it is mischievous for these few former aides to conflate their issue with how former governors and other higher level appointees are treated when their terms end or have to resign for one reason or the other. We wish to state here that it is the height of deceit and affront for the writers of the communique to assert that “certain categories of former appointees have since received their severance payment including His Excellency Governor Udom Emanuel“. His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel, it must be noted, in his fifteen months as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), did not receive any salary or indeed any other entitlement for that matter. He saw his appointment as a call to service and consequently donated his salary to the less privileged. This is what most business executives who found themselves in public service usually do. The immediate past Mayor of New York City-Michael Bloomberg, did not earn a salary for the 12 years he served as the Mayor of New York City. The writers of the communique, therefore, owe His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel an unreserved apology for lying against his person and name. It is very disheartening and sad to note that the group would accuse the Government of employing a “divide and rule” approach, whereas by the very nature, the tone and tenor of their communique, the undisguised intent was clearly to create an imaginary chasm and gulf between their manufactured and non-existent “Akpabio Boys” and “Udom Boys.“ It is worthy to note here that many of the former aides who served under the immediate past Govemor have been reappointed into various positions of responsibility by His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel. There is therefore, no “Akpabio Boys” and “Udom Boys” and the writers of the communique should be ashamed of themselves for being clever by half to have invoked such a non-existent bogey-man.
We note that a particular signatory to the communique has for some time now, used the social media to demonize, lampoon and attack the government of Governor Udom Emmanuel over some supine and intellectually fraudulent issues that reflect the thoughts of certain entities within the opposition groups in the State. In the jockeying for 2019, we have nothing against anyone who may desire to support a particular candidate of his or her choice- that is purely within the realms of their fundamental right of freedom of choice and association,but we frown at the use of subterfuge and political machinations by sponsored elements to cause division where none exists, which is what the “agitators” have attempted to do here.
Governor Udom Emmanuel runs a transparent, responsive and compassionate administration, and has gone the extra mile to ensure that all legitimate and lawful entitlements of people who worked in past administrations are paid and are still being paid. The first act he perforated upon being sworn in was to pay a ten year backlog of pensions and gratuities to teachers and local government employees-an act that labour leaders in the State are still applauding the Govemor. It is note-worthy to note here that in spite of the current dificult
economic environment, Governor Udom Emmanuel has through judicious application of scarce resources still able to provide solid infrastructure and other life-touching projects for which he has been applauded and celebrated throughout the nation. He will not be distracted by the antics of a few individuals who have elected to hide behind the facade of an amorphous group to pen a decidedly politically sponsored diatribe against the Governor.
Signed:
Ekerete Udoh
Senior Special Assistant (Media)/
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Udom Emmanuel
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