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Tag: Akpabio

  • Akpabio, donations and media hysteria

    Akpabio, donations and media hysteria

    Lately the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio has come under a barrage of coordinated media attacks on account of donations that he has made to groups and individuals. The donations which have attracted media rage include: N230 million on behalf of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum in support of the St. Stephens Civic Centre, Otueke, Bayelsa State; a Toyota Prado jeep to Mr And Mrs Innocent Idibia (TuFace) and a N6 million donation to over 1,000 delegates drawn from six states at the PDP South-South zonal meeting in Port-Harcourt.

    Hardly had Governor Akpabio announced these donations than there has been a mass hysteria and sponsored commentaries in the media, some based on total ignorance. It is noteworthy that none of these donations was uncovered through the investigative ingenuity of any journalist. In the spirit of transparency which has guided the conduct of government business in Akwa Ibom State in the last six years, Governor Akpabio made these donations conscious that all these events were covered by the media.

    What the commentators may not have known was that donations and grants are captured in the Akwa Ibom State budget and whatever the Governor does under this sub-head cannot by any stretch of imagination be described as fiscal recklessness. In other words the Governor acted within the ambit of fiscal law as passed by the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.

    In the last six years, the administration of Chief Akpabio has consistently devoted over 80 per cent of its annual budget to capital projects. Also, in carrying out these projects, the administration has made prudent management of resources its watch word as it has plugged all loopholes and leakages and devoted a huge percentage of the budget to infrastructure. This largely accounts for the uncommon transformation that the state has witnessed in the last six years.

    Without bothering to check, some commentators believed that the Akwa Ibom State governor at the fund raising event in support of St. Stephens Civic Centre just got up and announced the donation without informing any of his colleague governors of it. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Such perception stemmed from the lack of knowledge that this matter had come up during the last PDP Governors’ Forum meeting and whatever donation Chief Akpabio announced on behalf of his colleagues must have been what was agreed upon through consensus.

    It is difficult to understand why the donation of a Prado jeep (the media has mischievously increased in to two) to the Idibias has attracted so much media attention. The rationalization of Governor Akpabio’s gift to the Idibias by a well respected Akwa Ibom State indigene, Architect Ezekiel Nya-Etok who had ran against Chief Akpabio for the office of the Governor in 2006 will suffice. According to his posting in the social media about the car gift, “Governor Akpabio took a decision that I agree with totally… my reasons are as follows: strategic support. I believe that one of the essences of government is giving strategic support to her citizens.

    “Any citizen of the state that attains an outstanding position in life must be supported by the state to move to the next level in the larger interest of the state, and to be a source of inspiration to others. These people could be referred to Ambassadors of the State. The fact that Annie has been able to attract the life time commitment of this man is worth a second look… TuFace is not just a Nigerian, but an Ambassador of Akwa Ibom State, and this, on account of our patient and illustrious daughter called Annie.

    “Herein is the wisdom: Governor Akpabio seized the moment! A big fish swims into the waters and a discerning fisherman didn’t spare the net. Today, on account of an SUV and N3 million sponsorship, Tuface is no longer just an in-law of Annie’s parents, but now adopted as in-law of Akwa Ibom State… Again, nowhere in the world will an issue concerning the state be mentioned where TuFace is, that he will not feel a sense of commitment and responsibility to rise to the occasion. Smart move Governor,” he said.

    Nya-Etok’s summation reflects the thinking of most Akwa Ibom people in this whole needless saga. They have stood by their governor in supporting one of their own. Indeed they know that generosity and freely giving spirit is in the nature of their governor and they have always commended him for this and use it as a parameter with which future governors of the state would be judged. They have wondered why non Akwa Ibom people should cry more than the bereaved in this well-intentioned gift.

    But by far the most ridiculous of these criticisms is on the donation of a modest N6 million to about 1,000 PDP delegates during the zonal meeting in Port-Harcourt. The media has focused so much attention on the “N6 million Mr Biggs largesse” that the whole essence of what governor said was lost on them. Chief Akpabio had urged the PDP members to be united and unwavering in their support of the party and to be steadfast in their support for President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Curiously, even as the message went viral just a few moments after it was delivered, the video was carefully edited to present only the aspect of the donation, which in any case, the governor should not be apologetic about his support for his party. Everywhere in the world, it is a known fact that party organization is not cheap.

    Akpabio is not just an ordinary member of the PDP. Apart from being a governor on the platform of the party, he has recently been elevated to the board of trustees of the party and also a member of the party’s national caucus. These positions come with enormous responsibilities. It is intriguing that a donation of mere N6 million to the party should attract such level of vituperation. In this same country we had also witnessed how a party contributed over N1 billion to the weeklong celebration of their leader’s birthday; the media itself cannot say it has not benefited from the so called “Akpabio largesse” and yet we did not see any sanctimonious editorialising. And therein lies the hypocrisy of the media.

    But it is gratifying that even in the midst of these bitter and politically motivated criticisms, they all acknowledged the stellar performance of Akpabio as the governor of Akwa Ibom State. There is a general consensus that Governor Akpabio has redefined governance in Nigeria. The indices are dizzying. His administration has built over 320 new roads; four concentric flyovers; over 35 new bridges; five new general hospitals; an international specialist hospital, completed an international airport, and a 171 megawatts independent power project; built a brand new state-of-the-art Governor’s Lodge, a fully digitalized Governor’s office and banquet hall; a first in West Africa e-library; a one-stop entertainment and resort, Ibom Tropicana Entertainment Centre, a 15 storey, 250 rooms, 5-star hotel; a first-in-Africa underground drainage project using the pipe-jacking technology; declared free and compulsory education up to secondary school level and free medicare for children under five years, pregnant women and the elderly; and over 4,000 other rural projects spread across the 31 local government areas in the state.

    All these could not have been achieved through “fiscal recklessness.”

    • Ebenezer is a public affairs analyst based in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

  • Akpabio makes case for ex-militants

    The federal government has been asked to intervene in ecological issues and proper engagement of ex-militants from Akwa Ibom State who had laid down their guns to embrace government’s amnesty programme.

    Governor Godswill Akpabio made the appeal when the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Management, Hon. Ifedayo Adekunle and the Chairman, House Committee on Public Petitions, Hon. Uzo Azubuike visited him in Uyo.

    Akpabio said: “We have not had the intervention of the federal government in ecological issues for six years now. So, I appeal for the intervention to assist flood victims in the state. But I believe this visit would speed up Federal government assistance to the state, bringing succour by changing the lives of all those affected by this disaster. I also believe that the National Assembly will work with the federal government and do more to make the country united.

    “I also call on the federal government to intervene consider ex-militants who had dropped their guns to embrace amnesty and we should not wait until the youth carry arms again before empowering them. There must be talks with the youth not to carry guns to gain amnesty, but to embrace peace for the unity of the country.”

    The governor, who explained that amnesty is a federal government programme, recalled how over 500 youths from his state, claiming to be ex-militants once blocked the state Government House gate to lodge complaints of their neglect by the federal government while their counterparts from other states had been sent overseas for entrepreneurship and vocational training.

    He emphasised the need for justice by empowering the ex-militants to give them a sense of belonging, saying: ”Don’t wait until the children carry guns to fight again. Let’s give succour to those in the creeks and those who were not there but still carried their guns. I will be glad with any initiative involving discussions with the governors to solve the problem.”

    He thanked the National Assembly for being proactive on the exercise and being close to the people by moving from one state and local government area to another to intervene on the needs of the people.

    The visitors congratulated Akpabio on his recent appointment as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, saying that as a performing governor, who has transformed the state tremendously, he deserved the appointment.

    Azubuike applauded Governor Akpabio on his contributions for the development of the country which led to his recent appointment as the pioneer Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

  • I’m not a product of zoning, says Akpabio

    The possibility of any aspirants from Eket Senatorial District succeeding Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio in 2015 is slim.

    Governor Akpabio announced yesterday that he was not a product of zoning.

    Akpabio told the crowd at the Banquet Hall, Government House in Uyo, the state capital, that zoning is in the hands of God.

    His words: “If you ask me, I will tell you that I am not a product of zoning. I am a product of the people.

    “In 2007, 58 people from Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial districts all contested the primaries.

    “After the people had spent five days on the street, they finally voted who they wanted and said let’s God’s will be done.

    “For 2015 elections, zoning is in the hands of God.”

    Akpabio’s comment elicited mixed reactions from those agitating for zoning to Eket Senatorial District.

    It is now clear that the 2015 governorship position would be an open contest.

    The governor had earlier said he was not opposed to zoning.

    This situation prompted the elders of Eket Senatorial district to praise him for supporting zoning and power shift in the state.

    The Eket Senatorial District Assembly (ESDA) said in a statement that: “We stand by the governor’s pronouncement that he was not averse to zoning.

    “We call on the indigenes of the zone to rally round the governor on this landmark pronouncement on zoning which is the spirit of fair play, equity and justice to ensure that the 2015 governorship dream for Eket Senatorial is realised.”

    The senatorial district made up of Eket, Oron and Ikot Abasi Federal Constituencies had endorsed the position that the 2015 governorship ticket should go to Eket senatorial zone.

  • Revealed: How Jonathan threatened PDP governors

    Revealed: How Jonathan threatened PDP governors

    President insists Amaechi must go

    Akpabio: we’ll kick out ‘Judases’

    Fresh facts emerged yesterday on the President’s stormy meeting with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors at the Villa.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, who pointedly told the governors to ensure Rivers State Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s removal as the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) chairman, threatened to deploy the machinery of government against governors who did not align with him in his Amaechi-must-go quest.

    This was a prelude to the formation of the PDP Governor’s Forum and the subsequent election of its chairman.

    Amaechi and Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio were asked to leave the room at the Presidential Villa, according to sources close to the meeting, which took place Monday night, before the proceedings.

    The sources, who pleaded not to be named because of what they described as the sensitivity of the matter, said besides treating the governors to video clips of Amaechi’s verbal attacks on him, President Jonathan listed three points of threat, which some of the governors saw as “blackmail”.

    The President threatened to deprive the governors of their:

    •security details;

    •access to funds from the excess crude account; and

    •refrain from appending his signature to the benchmark for the budget, which he signed yesterday.

    His words, which some of the governors saw as dictatorial, did not elicit an open response. The governors were mute.

    In spite of the threat, however, the governors did not all fall in line as the anti-Amaechi camp mustered only 16 governors, falling short of the 19 required for a simple majority to remove the chairman.

    “The opposition governors lined up behind Amaechi but Governor Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa state supported the president.

    He was taken to a private bedroom, where he was persuaded to abandon Amaechi,” another source said.

    Also yesterday, Akpabio spoke of a looming implosion, treachery and emergence of Judases within the PDP necessitated the formation of the PDP Governors’ Forum.

    Akpabio, who was at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, accompanied by his Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson, said the party was in a house cleansing mission.

    According to him, the challenges confronting the ruling party forced the leadership to look inwards and put its house in order, stressing that the party never envisaged such challenges in the 14 years of its existence.

    He said: “Today we are facing challenges. There is implosion in the party; there is treachery and we now have more Judases than disciples. What the PDP is doing is to cleanse its house. It is a moving train that will crush anyone that stands in the way.

    “We will put our heads together in the PDP Governors’ Forum to promote the unity and progress of the party. We will not be fighting the government because we will be working in solidarity of the party.

    “The formation of the Forum is to look inwards and project the party and the government. We are doing self cleansing. We can assure everyone that the Forum is not above the National Working Committee of the party. The Forum is subordinate to the party.”

    Akpabio declared that the PDP was not in a hurry to vacate governance at the national level, stressing that the new Forum would present a formidable bloc within the larger Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

    He dismissed insinuations that the PDP Governors’ Forum was meant to weaken the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, saying that it would rather strengthen and hasten its activities.

    PDP National Chairman Bamanga Tukur said with Akpanio’s emergence as the chairman of the new Forum, he could now sleep peacefully at night and even serve his siesta.

    Apparently reliving his ordeal in the hands of the Governors’ Forum, Tukur described the latest development as a repackaging of the PDP for the 2015 elections.

    “With a repackaged PDP as you can now see, the implication is that it will enable us mobilise our members ahead of the 2015 general elections and face elections and win.

    “No doubt, with Chief Tony Anenih as the chairman of our party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Governor Godswill Akpabio as the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and I as the national chairman, definitely the sky is our limit,” Tukur stated.

    The PDP chairman predicted a two-party system with the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 elections, saying the elections will be a straight fight between the APC and the PDP.

  • How Akpabio became PDP Governors’ Forum chair

    How Akpabio became PDP Governors’ Forum chair

    President Goodluck Jonathan declared a “war” against Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) Chair Rotimi Amaechi at a session with the governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday night, it was learnt yesterday.

    He told the governors that he could not work with Rivers State Governor as the chairman of the NGF because the governor had not been fair to him as the nation’s number one leader.

    According to sources who know what transpired in House 7 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President was visibly angry that he had been allegedly maligned by Amaechi over the oil wells dispute between Rivers State and Bayelsa State.

    It was gathered that the President said in view of the attitude of the governor, it would be difficult to work with Amaechi.

    It was also learnt that a video clip of an event in Calabar was shown to the governors to strengthen the President’s case against Amaechi.

    A source said: “The President made his point that no one can hide under the NGF to rubbish him in any manner. He told the PDP governors that he had had enough.

    “At a stage, the President said he was prepared for the worst, rather than allow Amaechi to tarnish his integrity. He asked the PDP governors to call Amaechi to order.

    “Those at the session saw a video clip of an event in Calabar in which Amaechi purportedly indicted Jonathan on the rift over oil wells between Bayelsa and Rivers states.”

    It was also learnt that the President got angry and said: “I cannot work with Amaechi as the chairman of the NGF.”

    Another source quoted the President as saying: “If there is any issue, let us sort it out physically, man-to-man, instead of someone hiding under the Governors Forum to score cheap points.

    “At that point, a pin-drop silence enveloped the venue because it was an open declaration of ‘war’ by the President.

    Asked how the governor responded to the President’s speech, the source said they were all speechless at the session which had the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and acting National Secretary, Barrister Onwe Onwe in attendance.

    With the comments of the President, the governors were boxed into a corner when the idea of a PDP Governors Forum was broached.

    “I think the plot was already hatched before the President called for the meeting. That was how Governor Godswill Akpabio emerged as the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum,” the source said.

    Asked why no governor could make any input, the source, who pleaded not to be named, added: “The fear of backlash accounted for it. With the vituperations against Amaechi, no governor needed to be told to keep quiet.

    “The mood at the meeting suggested that the Presidency could clampdown on any of the governors. So, it was better to beat a tactical retreat.”

    But barely few hours after the forceful emergence of Akpabio, Northern governors in PDP regrouped to reject the “imposition”.

    They said the North ought to have produced the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, going by the fact that 15 out of 23 members of the newly formed Forum are from the North.

    Another source added: “The governors are insisting that the election of the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum ought to be thrown open.

    “They want the choice of Akpabio revisited because it was not democratically done. That is another challenge facing the NGF.”

     

  • Akpabio urges BRACED states to embrace manufacturing

    Governor Godswill  Akpabio has urged the Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta (BRACED) to focus more on the development of aquaculture in the South-south to create more employment opportunities.

    Akpabio, who spoke when BRACED Director-General, Ambassador Joe Keshi and commissioners of agriculture in the BRACED states visited him in Uyo, lamented that his state had not taken advantage for the development of aquatic lives.

    He said: “The South-south has some challenges such as poverty and insecurity. So, this is the time for us to take our destinies in our hands for peace and development in the region. So therefore, the BRACED Commission must focus and discuss more in their next summit meeting on the aquatic wealth of the nation for the employment of our people.

    ‘’Already, the South-South has a lot of shrimps which could be transported by boats for sale and for export. That could in turn generate revenue for the people. We must discuss how to provide the boats and finances for the processing of our marine wealth’’.

    According to him, Ghananians and other nationals have been engaging in fishing in the country’s territorial waters, urging BRACED to take advantage of the availability of aquatic lives in the region by exploiting such to create jobs for people.

    He said Akwa Ibom is committed to agriculture particularly rice production through Integrated Farmers Scheme, adding that the state has initiated Women in Agricultural Development Project (WAEDEP) giving N250,000 to each of the 4,500 women.

    He charged the commission in liaison with private investors to venture into the manufacturing with the tag of BRACED, saying “Also, we would want a manufacturing company from BRACED Commission where food products would be packaged and stamped and before you notice it, people would rush for it. So to this, let us have a technical committee to practicalise and ginger the manufacturing sector on what we would be discussing”.

    Earlier, Keshi said they were in the state to explore areas of mutual cooperation in agriculture. The cooperation, he said, commission members would focus  on cocoa, timber and rice, among others.

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Why I want to succeed Akpabio’

    ‘Why I want to succeed Akpabio’

    A  governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Okpo Onofiok, has unfolded his manifesto in Uyo, the state capital. He said he would concentrate on human and infrastructure development, if elected as governor.

    Onofiok also spoke on his programmes during his visit to his ward and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Udung Uko Local Government Area of the state.

    He explained that his consultation with the grassroots leaders was to re-affirm his aspiration for the 2015 governoship race.

    Onofiok, who is an Oron, said power should shift to the zone becaue two Ibiobio, former Governor Victor Attah and governor Godswill Akpabio have enjoyed the slot.

    He said: “When the Oron ethnic bloc is given her due recognition in the state’s political and economic configuration, the unity and peace of the state will be attained without much dialogue.”

    Onofiok appealed to the ruling party and state governmnt not to ignore the goose that lays the golden eggs, stressing that the revenue sustaining the state is from the Oro ethnic bloc.”

    He added: “All the songs the people are singing to Ukana, Uyo and the rest are because of the oil, which is being predominantly explaited from Oro. b Oro has been an integral and productive segment of the state.”

    The politician said the marginalisation of the oil-producing community smacked of injustice.

    The aspirant appealed to Governor Akpabio to use the remaining years left for his administration to transform the area.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Who succeeds Akpabio in 2015?

    Who succeeds Akpabio in 2015?

    Politics of succession is in the air in Akwa Ibom State. Who succeeds Governor Godswill Akpabio  in 2015? Correspondent Kazeem Ibrahym writes on the intrigues and underground moves by the governorship aspirants

    The political parties are on the track. But the contest for the governorship is actually between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Will PDP maintain its hold on power? Will the ACN displace the party Akwa Ibom State sin 2015?

    Governor Godswill Akpabio will leave the State House, Uyo, on May 29, following the expiration of his second term. Ahead of the general elections, alignments and realignments among the politicians have started.

    Akwa Ibom State has three senatorial districts; Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket. The late Chief Akpan Isemin, an Etinan, had ruled the state between 1991-1993. But his tenure was aborted by the military intervention in politics. Preceeding his administration was that of Wing Commander Idongesit Nkanga, an Nsit Ibom man, who ruled between 1990 –1991. Both the late Isemin and Nkanga are from Uyo Senatorial District.

    Former Governor Victor Attah, who hails from Ibesikpo Asutan, ruled the state from 1999 to 2003. It was during Attah’s time that it was agreed that power should shift to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the interest of peace, equity and social justice. That was how Akpabio, who hails from Ikot Ekpene, became the governor.

    The people of Eket Senatorial District are of the opinion that it is the turn of the zone to produce Akpabio’s successor. But this does not go down well with the people of Uyo Senatorial District, who are of the view that the governorship has never been zoned to any senatorial district in the history of the state. They argued that it has always been an open contest.

    Those supporting zoning and those against it are locked in scheming. The Elders Council’ of Uyo Senatorial District led by Otuekong Sunny Udoh is believed to be promoting the governorship ambition of the Secretary to Government, Mr. Umana Umana. It is not clear, if the ambition of the politician has the blessing of the governor.

    The elders are relying on historical facts as they forge ahead in their consultations on behalf of Umana. Udoh argued that Isemin contested against the candidates from the three senatorial districts in the Third Republic. He also recalled that, after his emergence as governor, other positions were zoned to the three senatorial districts.

    The elders said in a statement: “Former Governor Attah, who was the governor between 1999 and 2003, contested against the candidates from the three senatorial districts. That there was no zoning for the governorship was underscored by the fact that, even within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), aspirants from the three senatorial districts were screened and cleared to contest the primaries for the position in 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011.

    “The current governor, His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio, won the primaries in 2006 and 2011 on his merit, after contesting against the aspirants from the three senatorial districts who were duly cleared by the PDP. Governor Akpabio won the two primaries deservedly and not because the position was zoned to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. After the emergence of Chief Godswill Akpabio as governor, other positions; Deputy Governor, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Party Chairman;` were zoned, in line with the practice in 1993, 1999 and 2003, to the three senatorial districts. Against the above background, the Elders Council takes serious exception to the statements made by some anti-democratic elements that the governorship in Akwa Ibom State in 2015 will be exclusively zoned to a particular senatorial district.”

    But former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Nduese Essien, who is from Eket, disagreed with the elders. He said it is foolhardy for anyone to argue that there are no credible candidates in Eket Senatorial District to run the affairs of the state in 2015.

    Essien condemned the anti-zoning elements in the state, stressing that zoning has always characterised PDP’s electoral calculations in the state.

    “The zoning arrangement has become a characteristic of PDP. In Akwa Ibom State, the first governor in the democratic dispensation emerged from Uyo Senatorial District. At the end of his second term in office, it was agreed that Uyo Senatorial District was no longer contesting the governorship; that it should go to either Ikot Ekpene or Eket Senatorial District. It was also expected that which ever senatorial district emerged in the 2007 election will stand eliminated from the race in the next round of elections for governor. As it is now, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts in Akwa Ibom have had their two terms in office. It automatically stands to reason that only Eket Senatorial District should present a credible candidate for the next round of elections.

    “May be, after the forth-coming elections, the best candidate, the best material and the highest bidder may emerge in the subsequent elections in 2015. But for now, the three senatorial districts have to be allowed to have their turns.” Essien said.

    In his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Chairman of Ibom Mandate Assembly, Mr. Iniobong John, who is from Uyo, disagreed with the Uyo Senatorial District’s Elders Council. He said Eket Senatorial District is the only zone that has not produced a governor, since the creation of the state. He explained that the other two zones have enjoyed the slot for 20 years in 2015.

    The letter reads in part: “ Eket Senatorial District is the hub of the oil wealth upon which Akwa Ibom and Nigeria is fed and sustained. In spite of the fact that, with 12 local government areas, the largest among the senatorial districts compared to Ikot Ekpene (10) and Uyo (9), Eket Senatorial Discrict and her diverse ethnic groups of Oro, Ibibio, Ekid, Ijaw and others, the zone is systematically subjected to political marginalisation and economic exploitation.”

    John quoted Article 7 Section 2, Sub-Section C of the PDP Constitution to support his claim on why Eket must produce the next governor. The section of the PDP Constitution reads: “In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of zoning and rotation of party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by appropriate Executive Committees of the party at all levels.”

    “Mr. President, it may interest you to know that, following the recently concluded public hearing on the constitution review held across the country, the overwhelming vote of the people for zoning and power rotation in Akwa Ibom reverberated in all the 10 federal constituencies, the three senatorial districts and even at the state level, where Governor Godswill Akpabio lent his voice in support of rotation of power, publicly acknowledging that, himself is a product of zoning.” John added.

    In Akwa Ibom State, 2013 is a mirror of 2015. The various groups are coming up as campaign platforms drawing attention to the aspirations of their sponsors. Observers are of the view that the preparation for the 2015 contest led to the resignation of the former deputy governor, Nsima Ekere, who is believed to be a strong contender for the number one seat. Ekere, who hails from Mkpat Enin, the Ibibio axis of Eket Senatorial District, is banking on zoning to succeed Akpabio.

    But Governor Akpabio recently told The Nation that the resignation of Ekere has nothing to do with the governorship tussle. “I don’t think the resignation of the deputy governor has anything to do with 2015. That is my personal opinion. I think it has a lot to do with the personal decision of a public servant who decides to face other things. It really depends on what make you fulfilled as a person. So, I don’t think it has got anything to do with 2015, but there is nothing wrong in reading political connotations into anything that occurs in any political atmosphere. So, I believe strongly that in 2015, Akwa Ibom people are most likely to say let Godswill continue to be done,” he said.

    Asked if he is interested in who succeeds him, Akpabio said: “As a citizen of the state, I am definitely interested in ensuring that the tempo of development is not relaxed and I will be very glad, if we can have somebody who will be as passionate and dedicated as the current governor of Akwa Ibom State.”

    The governor’s explanation notwithstanding, many people believed that Ekere was almost evicted out of Akpabio’s government before he resigned to avoid any embarrassment.

    However, many also believe that the loyalty of Umana to Akpabio would play a key role in deciding who succeeds the governor in 2015. Umana will need to contend with strong forces from Eket Senatorial District, which are shaping the preparations for the battle.

    These include Senator Helen Esuene from Eket Senatorial District, Effiong Abia, an Oron man, who is serving as the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs; Okpolupn Etteh from Ibeno, who is the Majority Leader of the House of Assembly; Ambassador Assam Assam, former Attorney General of the state and the Ambassador of Nigeria to Russia, and Jerome Isangiedighi, a member of the House of Assembly representing Oron/Orung Uko.

    Observers believe that urgent steps are required by the PDP to address its zoning arrangement and the controversy it has generated to prevent internal chaos that could result in the break down of law and order in the state.

  • Akpabio sacks commissioner

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday sacked Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Helen Ukpabio.

    In a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, Akpabio also approved the retirement of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Arit Okpo.

    No reasons were given for the action.

    The statement reads: “Governor Godswill Akpabio has relieved the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Helen Ukpabio of her appointment with immediate effect.

    “Similarly, the governor has also approved the retirement of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Arit Okpo.

    “The governor thanks the officers for their services to the state and wishes them success in their future endeavours.”

     

  • Akpabio signs 2013 budget

    AKWA Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio yesterday signed the 2013 budget of N470.08billion.

    A breakdown showed that N118.79billion was earmarked for recurrent expenditure while N351.29billion would go for capital projects.

    Akpabio said emphasis is placed on capital expenditure at the expense of recurrent expenditure so the administration can deliver more to the people.

    He hailed the Assembly for speedy consideration of the budget and appealed for cooperation.

    “We have started this year well. Today, we stand on a bridge of hope. We will increase the momentum and work harder to take advantage of the dry season.”

    The governor said he hoped to deliver more on his electoral promises, adding that with the pace of the uncommon transformation going on in the state, Akwa Ibom has become a reference point for good governance in Nigeria.

    Akpabio had on November 20 presented a budget of N459.305 billion made up of N188.79billion for recurrent expenditure and N340.52billion for capital projects.

    The House, however, increased the budget size by N10.77billion for capital expenditure and N5million for recurrent expenditure.