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Tag: Akpabio

  • Kukah, Akpabio, for newspaper launch

    The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah; Senate Minority Leader Senator Godswill Akpabio; Chairman, Swiss Spirit Danag Port Harcourt, Chief Daniel Chimezie Okeke and Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, are among key dignitaries expected to grace the launch of The New Narrative Newspapers.

    The launch holds tomorrow in Ikeja, Lagos.

    A statement by the Publisher/CEO, Mr. Kalu Okoronkwo, said Bishop Kukah will deliver a lecture on “State of the Nation and Governance”.

  • Kukah, Akpabio, others for New Narrative launch

    The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, former Akwa Ibom State governor and Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio, Chairman of Swiss Spirit Danag in Port Harcourt, Chief Daniel Chimezie Okeke (Omereoha) and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, are among dignitaries expected on June 15 at the Banquet Hall of Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Lagos for the launch The New Narrative Newspapers, a publication on governance in Nigeria.

    Others include chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State and Founder/CEO, Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi; Minister for Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma; Managing Director of Proshare Limited, Mr. Femi Awoyemi; member of the House of Representatives, Uko Nkole; National President of Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN) and Moderator of Lagos Presbyterian Church in Lekki, Rev. Benebo Fubara-Manuel; Head of Brands and Corporate Communications at Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Charles Aigbe, as well as captains of industry, top government functionaries, social and cultural groups, media practitioners and religious associations.

    A statement by the editorial team and management of the newspaper, through the Publisher/CEO, Mr. Kalu Okoronkwo, said Bishop Kukah will deliver a lecture, titled: State of the Nation and Governance, at the event, in line with the vision and focus of the newspaper.

    Okoronkwo said The New Narrative is a new publication that promotes transparent leadership and accountability of public office holders.

    He added: “As Nigeria and Nigerians, we have run out of excuses on why we have remained backward, playing second fiddle to other peoples and nations.”

    The publisher said The New Narrative will contribute its quota towards national, political and economic development of the nation.

    Okoronkwo said it would be guided by objectivity, truthfulness and would be devoid of adulation with a view to remaining steadfast with global journalism standard.

    He said: “Nigeria is at the crossroads and needs voices of truthfulness that echo the needs of the people, justice and fair play. This and many other standards The New Narrative will stand for.”

     

     

  • Akpabio like Cassandra?

    rdinarily, there should be no iota of doubt on relationship between Senator Godswill Akpabio and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom. The former fought fiercely to install the latter as governor, thereby becoming the first and only governor in the state so far that succeeded in crowning his preferred person as successor.

    Also, Akpabio ought to be believed by the people all the time on account of infrastructural renaissance that took place in the state under his watch. Though he failed woefully to industrialise the state, which was the hallmark of his second term electioneering promises, he used public exchequer and political patronages in piloting many people from planet of penury to permanent abode in kingdom of prosperity.

    But today, Akpabio appears not quite believable. Less than a year before next general election, the public is flooded with rumours that he is pussy-footing between PDP and APC as to where to pitch his political tent with reports suggesting that the Senate Minority Leader is weighing options of remaining in PDP in the day time and supporting APC nightly.

    Akpabio’s rumoured rift with Emmanuel was even lent credence by the former governor when early this year he lodged a complaint publicly of alleged marginalization of his senatorial district by Emmanuel. Several public shows, thereafter, such as speaking glowingly of the governor, photo-opportunity to show spirit of camaraderie, only give impression of window-dressing. Perceptive minds believe that there’s more to his complaints than meets the eyes.

    Why is Akpabio not worthy to be believed these days? Was he ever believable? Is Akpabio like Cassandra?

    A version of Greek mythology has it that Cassandra was Trojan princess of King Priam, ruler of ancient city-state of Troy. Though her prophesies always came to pass, she was never believed. It was a man called Apollo, in effort to seduce her, that gave her the power of prophecy but she gave him the disappointment of his life. Apollo, ever in readiness for marathon bedroom artistry with the pretty princess cursed her not to be believed by anyone for refusing to yield to his advances. In contemporary time, Cassandra has become symbol of someone not believed by those around him despite his or her believability.

    It is not known whether Akpabio has ever been cursed by anyone possessing Apollo’s powers. But his antecedent, too fresh in the consciousness of those who trace the present from the past, is fuelling fire of feeble faith even among his followers. His role in former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s ill-health political palaver readily comes to mind. Akpabio was among the governors that clandestinely mounted road blocks for then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan from becoming acting president, only to become Jonathan’s  “junior brother” when Jonathan eventually became President following Yar’Adua’s death.

    Under Jonathan’s presidency, he was running errands for his “senior brother” and his wishes were commands to the commander-in-chief. He asked for the sacking of Ahmed Gulak, the president’s political adviser, for romancing with his erstwhile deputy, Nsima Ekere, while visiting Akwa Ibom and Gulak was given the boot immediately by Jonathan. He was a strong factor in who chaired PDP and how long he lasted. In election for chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, the world was made, through Akpabio, to believe that 16 is greater than 19, so Jonah Jang emerged chairman while Rotimi Amaechi with his 19 votes was asked to go to hell.

    It is pretty difficult to fault a school of thought that while running everywhere for Jonathan’s second term, Akpabio was, either advertently or inadvertently, rooting for triumph of the opposition and trouncing of Jonathan and PDP. The 16-is-greater-than-19 arithmetic caused division among the governor’s peers; five governors along with other members of the PDP, including some in the National Assembly defected to the then opposition APC and Akpabio was crowned chairman of a splinter group called PDP Governors Forum. The rest, as the cliché goes, is now history.

    In Akwa Ibom, Akpabio has stepped on toes of many of no mean worth. Chief Don Etiebet and Ime Umanah, whom at a certain time, when Akpabio was relatively nobody, magnanimously provided him with ladders to climb to the top, were disdainfully reciprocated when Akpabio eventually became somebody. Umana Umana, who served him for the greater part of his eight years governorship as secretary to the state government was said to have recommended Emmanuel to him for the position of finance commissioner. When Akpabio later went for the former executive director of Zenith Bank, he cherished Emmanuel’s credentials far better than Umana’s and therefore found him worthy to replace his recommender as the government’s scribe, a position that would later serve as nursery bed for onward transplanting to the governor’s office that Akpabio had hitherto promised Umana. In fact, Akpabio gave credit of the recommendation to his wife, Unoma, and not Umana.

    Recently, he was at it again. He was on the neck of Emmanuel to drop former Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Udo Ekpenyong, a dyed-in-the-wool loyalist of the governor, well known for sagacious grassroots mobilization, because he could not perform an act of obeisance to him (Akpabio) in a political meeting that the governor also attended. His wish was reluctantly carried out. Given what the former commissioner is to the people, notwithstanding, his continuous loyalty to Akpabio and Emmanuel, the governor stands to lose supporters from Ekpenyong’s lineage. As a matter of fact, from the beginning Akpabio has been the sole source of Emmanuel’s political adversaries.

    Those worsening matters for Akpabio are his retinue of praise-singers, jostling to out-wit one another, and attempting to belittle Biblical David, in composing panegyric poems for his commendable and condemnable actions. His name is often mentioned with superlative prefixes such as “uncommon transformer”, “digital governor”, “lion king”, “icon of uncommon transformation”, “the great teacher” etcetera.

    While it is time he realised that stretching power beyond elasticity has boomerang effects, Akpabio can best be believed through his life, not his lips and flutes of his panegyrists.

     

    • Ekanem writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
  • Akpabio: Nobody can come between Emmanuel and I

    Akpabio: Nobody can come between Emmanuel and I

    Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio finally broke his long silence over alleged estrangement with Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel.  He also spoke exclusively to Sunday Oguntola on why the National Assembly passed the bill on order of elections ahead of 2019 and compared life as a governor and lawmaker. Excerpts:    

    THERE have been fears and insinuations that you will not support the reelection bid of Governor Udom Emmanuel. How do you react to that?

    Those fears are just unfounded. I have said it as different fora that come 2019 I will support the reelection of the governor. I have not said anything to the contrary. Anybody thinking that I will not support the governor is just reacting to his or her figment of imagination…

    … Well, some said you just say it while working to the contrary in secret

    …I have never said I will not support the governor. And I am a kind of person that does not go back on my words. I have endorsed the governor at different fora and nothing will change that.

    At the New Year Eve reception hosted by the Deputy Governor, you said all was not well. Is that not in reference to the Governor’s reelection’s bid?

    You see that was not what I meant. It is unfortunate that people have twisted the ‘all is well’ statement I used at that forum. What I said was in reference to the security situation in two local governments in Akwa Ibom at that time where over 80 persons were killed by a certain cult group with many turned to Internally Displaced Persons(IDPs).

    Iso Akpafit was the notorious cult leader harassing Ukanafun Local Government in the senatorial district then. It was spreading to another local government with some of the IDPs even being threatened. So, I said all was not well in terms of security in the district and that there was need to address the situation.

    I said that so we can tackle the situation so that election can hold in the district where the governor is assured of almost 500,000 votes. That is true because if the insecurity persisted, there might be no election in the entire senatorial district because it could spread to other local governments.

    It would mean all the block votes that the governor was assured of, since we are the only district that will not present a candidate in 2019, might be affected. More so, the governor happens to be our in-law.

    So, if we didn’t take steps to address the insecurity and so other silent discontents, we might be deceived to think we have those votes intact. The solid basket of votes might be affected. I also said we had two major projects, which the governor had started addressing now.

    I said we had the ongoing dualisation of the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road, which the governor had started addressing. I said we didn’t even need to dualise it before putting it to use. It could be one lane.

    The other was the completed Four-Point by Sheraton Hotel, which we are yet to put to use that if we could get money to use it will be a major talking point for us and will be a fillip to gather more support for the current administration in the district and beyond.  I also remember saying all that day that I stand by the governor for 2019 and didn’t want what I was saying to be misconstrued.

    Of course, those who reported and the mischief makers didn’t report what I said from the security point of view. They twisted it to look like I said all was not well with reference to the governor’s reelection bid. But thank God that almost a week later after I spoke, security agencies killed the kingpin and flushed out the cult group. So, for me, that was the beginning of a major turning point.

    For me, I believe the security agencies have been working before I spoke up. It was just fortuitous that the kingpin was killed and his corpse paraded just few days after I spoke. So, we later met the governor about three days after the forum.

    The governor was able to meet with key stakeholders from the district and explained what he was doing with reference to those projects and the insecurity challenge. So, I was literally shocked and surprised when people jumped in based on what I said to make a political capital out of it. Of course, many of them had beefs for the governor. So, that was what I meant when I said all was not well.

    Was it true you gave conditional support for the governor come 2019?

    No, I never did. I even said on that day that I stand with the governor. But to make the election smooth for us, we have to address some issues. I even made a comparison that to go for Communion in the Catholic Church you have to be in a state of grace.

    I am not the only person that will vote. Elections are about preparations. To have those situations in that area with basket of votes, we have to look at things we can do to be sure we have everyone on board.

    One was the insecurity issue and I am glad that is being addressed. People are returning to their farmlands again. Women were not able to farm again. Iso Akpafit’s gang was just raping and killing them. A lot of people lost their lives. May their souls rest in peace.

    So, my reference to all was well, was in the light of the insecurity challenge at that time. Not only that. For anybody to imagine that I will not support Governor Udom Emmanuel is the height of foolishness.

    With or without those issues, the governor will still have won election in my senatorial district. But I wanted us to smoothen the senatorial district so that there would be no stories at all. I even said we are now in opposition. We don’t have INEC and Police to do anything for us.

    Sometimes, some of those people can become lethargic. A policeman can stand there and just watch something go wrong because they are in an opposition state. So, ultimately it was important to allow the will of the people to prevail. Like what happened in Turkey where Edogan was not even in the country when army attempted to take over. The people marched to the states and used their bodies to fight back. That was what I was talking in Akwa Ibom so that we can smoothen the rough edges. I have also learnt my lessons anyway.

    Which are?

    One is that even if all is well, you don’t say it at least openly…

    …People felt even if you had such misgivings, you should have expressed them to the governor privately

    Yes, but it was the first major stakeholders’ meeting since the governor came on board in the district. I was very impressed with the crowd. I said we should see the governor with some of these issues. I could always see the governor but many of them have not seen or heard from him in three years.

    Few days after, we met the governor and he explained everything to us. But when people attempted to jump in, it was like trying to go to the market after it had closed. We saw him. He addressed our issues and we even addressed the press. The former deputy governor spoke on our behalf.

    I was shocked that some mischief makers attempted to make a political capital out of it. Even when my media aide attempted to explain what I said, I told him to allow people be. I just kept quiet because everyone is free to insult or abuse me since I chose to be a public servant.

    If I was just a palm wine tapper in the village, there is no way any something I say will be misinterpreted. They wouldn’t have opportunities for them to attempt to cut me to sizes and try to reduce my sphere of influence.

    Is it true you are also preparing an Oron candidate to take over from Governor Udom Emmanuel?

    That also is not true. There is nothing like that. You have to understand that when the time of politicking comes, people do a lot of game of elimination. If you look at Akwa Ibom, it is predominately a government state. The only industry is more or less government.

    So, people will always try to be more Catholic than the Pope at times like these. Governor Udom Emmanuel in whom I am very well pleased remains one of my major legacies in the state. I cannot go and try my legacies for any reason.

    Does Governor Udom Emmanuel deserve reelection?

    I believe he deserves reelection for many reasons. First, I believe that in this era of recession, he has really done well because you find out that many states cannot even pay salaries again. He does not owe and that is excellent.

    Besides, he has been able to do many projects here and there. He has been able to attract some industries to the state. You talk about the syringes industry, pencil industry, the fertilizer blending plant and the airport for the state. You hear of the industrial zone. In terms of roads, he is also doing very well.

    Even the Uyo-Ikot-Ekpene road they are talking about, he has added one lane to it. He has done a sizeable part of it. It was just that during the dry season in December, which we are always particular about, we didn’t know it was Julius Berger that went on holiday.

    So some people thought it was abandoned, not knowing it was the contractors that went on leave. When we met with the governor, he explained all of these to us and we were happy to pass a vote of confidence on him again. But even after the fantastic meeting, some stakeholders, who are not even from the senatorial district, went about to issue statements.

    We can understand because if they were busy farming, running a business or even adding anything of value to the system, they will not have time for such mischief.

    Is it true you are planning to leave the PDP?

    As the Minority in the Senate, I believe you have to think less of your party and the nation. I have never seen a Senator who will not work with the President. We meet to smoothen the rough edges. The nation is at war and we have to work on a bipartisan level to rescue us, even from recession.

    I think all my efforts in these directions confused some people. It makes some think that I am planning to leave the PDP. But the truth is I have nowhere to go. If you compare the two parties, you will realise the APC is a conglomerate while the PDP is a political party. So, who should go to where?

    There are always reports you left Akwa Ibom heavily indebted. How true is that?

    That is very untrue. You see government is a continuum. I cannot make a categorical statement on the debt profile of the state. The current governor is in the best position to do that. Luckily, he was also the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

    But what I can recall is that we never took loan beyond N80bn and we have paid down seriously. Akwa Ibom is not among the very indebted states in the nation. Some of these things are said by politicians bent on tarnishing the image of the government and the former governor.

    And you know when you take over a government you inherit the assets and liabilities. In my time, we did a lot of federal projects and roads. We left behind a lot of things for which nobody paid us. We were owed N100billion of Paris Club refund.

    With the benefit of hindsight, were there things you think you should have done while in office?

    Anything that I would say I should have done would mean there was no money. I did everything I wanted to do because I went there with a lot of focus. I wanted to change the physical and mental structure of the state.

    The youths in Akwa Ibom are more united than what our elders used to be. Of course, the mentality has changed from the houseboy, house girl syndrome. That is because of the free education policy that I introduced. Of course, the physical landscape has changed too. You get to the state and see many projects and transformations. You see a lot of human capital development in the state a lot.

    Can you compare life as legislator and governor?

    Both are very challenging because you don’t have time for your family and children. Both take you across the nation. Lawmaking comes with oversights and you travel a lot within different sectors of the nation.

    Both are challenging but being a governor means you are always hypertensive on a daily basis.

    The PDP appears uncoordinated with the forthcoming presidential candidate…

    …Just like the APC

    …But the APC has an incumbent who is likely to seek reelection

    But the PDP has many presidential candidates too. It shows you the beauty of democracy. It shows the PDP is still the beautiful bride. That is why many are seeking for its presidential ticket.

  • 2019: Will Akpabio support Emmanuel’s second term bid?

    2019: Will Akpabio support Emmanuel’s second term bid?

    Despite several public denials, many political watchers are not sure Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, will support the reelection bid of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, reports Sunday Oguntola 

    UNTIL the New Year Eve, it was more or less a fait accompli. The reelection bid of Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, appeared done and dusted as far as his predecessor, Godswill Akpabio, was concerned.

    Akpabio, who fought tooth and nail to install Emmanuel despite massive protests of heavyweight stakeholders in the state, was convinced the governor deserved a second term in office. He declared severally there was no vacancy in the Government House, clearly stating his successor was doing a fantastic job.

    But all that changed in December. It was at a get-together by Deputy Governor Moses Ekpo. In attendance were people of the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District as well as other stakeholders. Akpabio ruffled feathers when he declared his support for the second term of Emmanuel would be conditional.

    The governor, he stated, had neglected his senatorial district and legacy projects. He specifically pointed out projects he initiated, such as the multi-million naira Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the dualised Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road, have become abandoned.

    According to him: “2018 is less than one year to election and all is not well. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you that all is well. If the hotel in Ikot Ekpene rots after so much money had been expended on the project, would that be a good thing? That road from Uyo to Ikot Ekpene is still the way it was.

    “In the 2018 budget, what is the percentage for Ikot Ekpene senatorial district? My job is to say the truth because if at this level I cannot say the truth, then I am not doing well.

    “So, please I want us to start the hotel. Please let us check the budget to know what has been earmarked for that place. I am not interested in what I did and what I did not do. I am only interested in what I am going to do.

    “The truth is that Godswill Akpabio expects us to set our path straight so that we can take one route. Even when you are going for communion, you must be in a state of grace.

    “So let us have something from the senatorial district to use in talking about election; to use in convincing the people to stand by us. We are in opposition, we don’t have government, we don’t have police; we don’t have INEC.”

    The governor’s camp didn’t take kindly to the vituperations from his political godfather. The attacks on Emmanuel, sources close to him said, were carefully planned and executed. They were intended to cause disaffection and portray the governor as ethnically biased, his camp told our correspondent.

    Besides, it was believed the former governor was cooking a plot to replace Emmanuel with someone from the Oron nation of Eket Senatorial District. The plot, it was gathered, was why Emmanuel quickly moved to sack the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Sir Etekamba Umoren.

    Umoren is a die-hard Akpabio loyalist who served as Chief of Staff to the former governor. Aides close to Emmanuel hinted Umoren was more loyal to Akpabio than their principal, accusing him of leaking official secrets and details to the Senate Minority Leader.

    To counter the Oron nation option, as it is known among political hawks in Akwa Ibom, the governor settled for Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem as the new SSG to quickly rally the senatorial district to his sides.

    The Senator however moved very quickly to quell talks of rift with his successor. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong, Akpabio expressed pleasure with the performance of Governor Emmanuel.

    “It is obvious that the concerns raised by the senator during the end-of-year stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Deputy Governor, that all was not well, was misunderstood and political jobbers sought to feast on it.

    “What the Senator said was that their House should be put in order so that the votes from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would be put intact for Governor Emmanuel in the next election.

    “Akpabio is satisfied that the areas of concern raised by the stakeholders, which were further explained by the governor during the follow-up meeting with him, to the satisfaction of the stakeholders present at the meeting, were receiving the attention of the government. Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would stand by Emmanuel and pledged the support of the people towards the re-election of the governor with it’s over 500,000 votes.”

    But the denial will not suffice for the governor’s camp. Checks revealed that strategists close to him have advised Emmanuel to go for the broke once- and- for- all. A source in the know confided: “The governor is not taking anything for granted. He knows his predecessor still have a deep pocket and many political structures.

    “Besides, there are intelligence reports that he is working on another option for the governor. So, it is either the governor moves now or loses out. He has to become his own man. He has to break loose from the grip of godfatherism.

    “He won’t go far as long as there is still someone somewhere dictating to him. Akpabio had the peace of mind to do much because he had no political godfather in the state. He used federal might to get the ticket contrary to Obong Victor Attah’s wishes.

    “The governor needs that kind of political latitude too to survive and succeed. He is seeing reasons with us and will do much more in the coming days to consolidate his grip ahead of the reelection campaign.”

    It was further learnt that Akpabio reached out to the governor during the foundation-laying ceremony of the 8,500- seater capacity Akwa Ibom State International Worship Centre in Uyo, where they sat side-by-side.

    A source hinted the Senator reassured Emmanuel of his total support, declaring political columnists were not happy with the hitherto smooth relationship between them. He is also said to have stopped at nothing to pledge support for his successor’s reelection’s bid. Another source stated he had been sending mutual friends to the governor to drum home his unalloyed loyalty.

    But the governor’s camp is reportedly not buying the I-am-for-you moves of his predecessor. It is believed they are all ploys to send the incumbent into a false sense of security shortly before a deadly blow.

    A source in the governor’s camp said: “It is hard to trust Akpabio. Truth is he wants to remain relevant in the state. Yet he does not want to allow the governor build his own structure. We believe the constant assurances of support are just lip services. The governor has to take his own destiny in his hands.”

    Akpabio, on his part, is said to be seriously weighing his options. He knows to take on Emmanuel might amount to a political suicide. This, according to political watchers, is because of the fact that the governor is privy to some financial transactions by the former administration that may spell doom for the Senate Minority Leader.

    Should he move against his successor, it is believed he may lose out ultimately with his tracks blown up. Yet, Akpabio is uncomfortable with the fact that the governor is considering a second term without factoring him into reckoning.

    This possibility, it was learnt, is a big worry to the former governor who is determined to be the de facto godfather in the state. It is in fact a bigger worry to his loyalists in the cabinet of Emmanuel. Many of them, it was gathered, are afraid that the governor might do away with them. The fear of a clean-out for an electioneering cabinet is making many of them to avoid Akpabio and downplay their loyalty to him.

    The development, according to investigations, is working against the sustainability of the political structure of Akpabio, who more or less practically handpicked all the close aides of Emmanuel in return for the bankrolling of his election.

    Most Commissioners and political appointees with ties to him are said to be watching their backs and working hard to convince the governor of their loyalty as against Akpabio. This is because they are privy to the political advice to the governor to discard the political structure of his predecessor for a fresh one manned by die-hard loyalists.

    The Senator, on the other hand, is considering settling for Emmanuel’s reelection. This, according to a close aide, is because it appears like a “lesser devil for now”.

    The aide told our correspondent last week: “When you are boxed and cornered in a political game, sometimes you reevaluate and choose the lesser evil. Supporting the governor appears more or less like that now because to do otherwise might be seriously counterproductive.

    “Besides, you don’t fight to the point of irrelevance. So, it is better to give the governor a reality check like the Senator did on the New Year Eve, shake him a little to get attention and establish you are still a force to reckon with.”

    But the fighter he is, Akpabio might still choose to go against the runs of play for the unthinkable. Whether or not he supports the governor’s reelection bid will remain a constant debate until the contest is over.

  • Akpabio, others pass vote of confidence in Emmanuel

    Akpabio, others pass vote of confidence in Emmanuel

    Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Governor Moses Ekpo, Speaker of House of Assembly Onofiok Luke, Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) National Legal Adviser Emmanuel Enoidem, National Assembly members of the party and other stakeholders have passed a vote of confidence in Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    At a caucus meeting at the weekend in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, they hailed the governor for his leadership qualities and achievements since assumption of office.

    In a communique at the end of the meeting, members were warned to desist from making inflammatory statements capable of heating up the polity.

    The meeting was chaired by the state Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo.

    A source told The Nation that issues were discussed.

    The bigwigs praised Emmanuel for what they described as “spectacular performances across all sectors of the polity, economy and socio-cultural at very trying times.’’

    They assured him of support for a second term to complete his projects and programmes.

  • Akpabio: no rift with Akwa Ibom governor

    Akpabio: no rift with Akwa Ibom governor

    Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio has denied reports of a rift between him and his successor, Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel.

    He described such insinuations as “the handiwork of political jobbers.”

    A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong, said Akpabio is “satisfied with the performance of Governor Emmanuel.”

    It added that he could not be engaged in a feud with an administration that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District played a significant role in its emergence.

    “It is obvious that the concerns raised by the senator during the end-of-the-year stakeholders’ meeting organised by the deputy governor that all was not well was misunderstood and political jobbers sought to feast on it.

    “What the senator said was that their house should be put in order so that the votes from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would be intact for Governor Emmanuel in the next election.

    “Senator Akpabio is satisfied that the areas of concern raised by the stakeholders, which were explained by the governor during the follow-up meeting with  him to the satisfaction of the stakeholders present at the meeting, were receiving the attention of the government,” the statement said.

    Akpabio hailed the governor for working with security agencies to eliminate a notorious militant, Akaninyene Jumbo alias Iso Akpafid, who killed residents of Ukanafun Local Government and its environs and rendered many displaced in the last one year.

    He said with the killing of the hoodlum, peace would return to that part of the senatorial district.

    The statement said Senator Akpabio had pointed out that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would stand by Governor Emmanuel and pledged the support of the people towards the re-election of the governor with its over 500,000 votes.

    He cautioned those making inciting statements to create a wedge between the senator and the governor to desist, as they were doing so for their personal benefit.

    The lawmaker sued for peace and advised politicians to desist from politics of hatred and blackmail, which would not augur well for unity.

  • Akpabio was not properly informed about projects’

    Akpabio was not properly informed about projects’

    Facts have emerged as to why Senate Minority Leader Senator Godswill Akpabio alleged that his successor, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom state had abandoned projects started by his administration in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

    Akpabio had last week during a Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) stakeholders meeting of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district held at the Independence Hall Abak, cried that his star projects such as the Four Point Hotel in Ikot Ekpene and the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road had been abandoned by the current administration.

    But the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Mr. Uwemedimo Nwoko said during an interview with our correspondent at the weekend that the ex-Governor made the statement because he did not have updates on the condition and constraints of projects in his senatorial district.

    Nwoko, who said Akpabio’s comments at the stakeholders meeting was not meant to undermine the Governor, explained that the Governor has specifically and severally directed the Commissioner for Housing and Special Duties, Mr. Akan Okon to ensure the completion of the Four Point Hotel at Ikot Ekpene for last Christmas activities.

    “I can tell you as an Exco member that since June last year the Governor has been on the neck of the commissioner for special duties because he gave him December deadline that he wants to use the hotel in Ikot Ekpene for the functions of Christmas and there was no monthly Exco that the Governor did not put the commissioner on the spot”.

    He was said since Akpabio was not a member of the State Executive Council it was not obligatory for the Governor to brief him on ongoing projects in the state.

    Asked if there was a communication gap between the Governor and Senator Akpabio, the commissioner said, “ there is no communication gap between Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Akpabio “.

    He however said, “ The Senator is no more in government in the state ; he is not in the Exco; he does not sit down at our various meetings to hear the  efforts put in place and nobody including the Governor owes him that daily responsibility of briefing the Senator.

    “As at today Akpabio knows more about the efforts towards bringing the hotel in Ikot Ekpene to functionality. He heard that the Governor had a meeting with the Mariok Group in Dubai. The Group has even indicated interest to take up the hotel”.

    Nwoko assured that Akpabio and the whole of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district are solidly behind the Governor’s reelection in 2019, adding there was no alternative to Governor Emmanuel.

     

  • PDP committed to sustaining Nigeria – Akpabio

    PDP committed to sustaining Nigeria – Akpabio

    The Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, said on Saturday the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is committed to sustaining a united Nigeria.

    Akpabio stated this at the party’s National Convention in Abuja.

    He said the party was committed to sustaining democracy in the country.

    “We believe strongly that any government in power that does well will promote Nigeria’s unity. We believe that if the government in power does well, it will bequeath a better Nigeria to future generation,” the former Akwa Ibom governor said.

    Akpabio, who is Chairman, PDP Senate Caucus in the National Assembly, said PDP would always work for the betterment of the common man.

    He assured Nigerians that the party would not let the people down.

    “We are prepared to work with any group that emerges as the national executive of the party. We want a free contest because better days lie ahead,’’ he added.

    Akpabio urged members who left the party to return, adding that the party also had room for new members.

    NAN

  • Akpabio ‘never donated N1.4b to any bank’

    Akpabio ‘never donated N1.4b to any bank’

    A former commissioner in Akwa Ibom State during the tenure of former Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday debunked speculations that he donated N1.billion to a commercial bank.

    Mr. Aniekan Umana, who was Commissioner for Information and Communication, described the claim as “infantile and baseless”.

    Akpabio is the Senate Minority Leader, who Umana said those “spreading falsehood” want to bring down. Umana, in a statement yesterday, said:” I was part and parcel of that administration and I also had the privilege of serving in the two administrations. Whatever I say on this matter can be further verified at the office of the Attorney-General of the state and the Finance and General Purpose Committee (FGPC), which was and I believe it is still the body that approves and awards contracts.

    “The purported N1.4bilion alleged to be a  donation by the former governor, I can recall, was in respect of a contract awarded to Triple A, for the apron expansion and private hangar for the government-owned aircraft at the Ibom International airport,  which work had commenced and the imported equipment were all inside the containers at the airport.

    “It is intructive to educate those making the comment that neither the FGPC, nor the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, which are the organs of government empowered to scrutinise the spending and disbursement of public funds have levelled such misdemeanours against the past and current governments.”

    Umana alleged that those making the claims were trying “to drag the name of the former governor into the mud. Because they failed to secure the support and endorsement of the former governor on their ill-fated ambition and they must bring Akpabio down at all costs”.