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 Altpabio (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 Godswi ll 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 organised
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 Govemor on Legislative and Political
Affairs-Barrister Eltong 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, Govemor 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 Emanuel 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.
Govemor 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 lso 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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