In a point-blank manner, All Progressives Congress, Akwa Ibom Chapter has told Governor Udom Emmanuel, ”This Government has not been sincere to the people,’’ saying ”CEO in-charge of Akwa Ibom State’s collective wealth lied on the altar of conscience with the blabby 6th anniversary speech.”
Apparently irked by the 2021 Democracy Day governor’s speech, Nkereuwem Enyongekere, the State Publicity Secretary, noted ”Recall that during the lockdown due to covid 19, the palliatives received from the Federal government were hoarded by the state and the items latter distributed by state officials as Christmas packages.
Enyongekere who in a statement issued May 30 on the title: Re: Udom’s 6th Anniversary Address; Another Tale of Ananias, remarked that ”It has been a circus of sorrows and pains for our people and we cannot wait for Udom to pull up by 2023 so the APC can work with the people to bring home prosperity for all, good governance and accountability.’’
According to him, ”Akwa Ibom State despite being one of the highest monthly revenue earner from the Federation account, is ironically one of the states with the highest rate of unemployment according to NBS report and has remained so for most of this administration’s lifetime.
”In all of his public speeches the Governor repeatedly weaves around a fiddle faddle industrialization drive. Who does the Governor want to deceive when he claims as ‘we have attracted over 20 industries with enduring economic benefits.’
”What are the consequential of the 20 industries to the state? Are the economic impacts of such industries not measurable? How viable and sustainable are these industries? What is the business plan for these industries?
”Government has wilfully failed to provide answers to these critical queries which should ordinarily guide the discerning public on profiling their sustainability and how much the state stands to benefit in medium and long term basis.
”What is the business volume the purported success in FDI has so far attracted to the state?’’
Not done, the Publicity secretary noted ”The APC as a party is embarrassed, though not disappointed at the height of callousness and insensitivity to the yearnings of the people promoted by this administration and reflected throughout the governor’s speech.
”With two years left for the end of this administration, one cannot find any symbol of hope in the government of Deacon Emmanuel largely due to insincerity and opacity of the Administration.’’
He queried ”How many of the over 400 primary healthcare facilities across communities in the state have the capacity to effectively treat common ailments like malaria fever? How many public schools in our communities are conducive for good and proper learning for our children? Does the state of emergency so declared in the education sector have a vacation period or timeline? Or is it as only God pleases?
”Government has a primary responsibility of providing for and protecting her citizens. When government fails, for instance, to provide for real jobs for her teaming youths, access to healthcare by the young and elderly, non-payment of gratuity and pensions to all retirees for whatever reason, it should be humane to first apologise and offer acceptable solutions to resolve those concerns.’’
Enyongekere lamented ”Rather, Governor Emmanuel would delve into trivialities. For lack of any meaningful record or data on the economic development impact of his administration, Mr. Emmanuel in his verbose speech and attempt to divert attention from the failure of his government chose to play the ostrich.
”In a rather condescending manner, Emmanuel discussed contradictorily issues pertaining to his succession with comments laden with innuendos about his potential successors.
”Udom is obviously afraid of a successor who would ‘cancel out all the great strides in industrialisation’ as if the next Governor will be a dictator from Asia; not an Akwa Ibomite, who knows the people have been badly wrecked and so must be carried along if he must get out of the woods and provide the people with good governance.’’
To him, ”It is laughable to find that the Governor who is guilty of spending above Two Billion Naira of state resources annually to maintain the state owned jet plane; inconsiderate of such luxury and waste in this dire time even with the alternative of Ibom Air. That is besides his long convoy of motorcade. Could Udom in all honesty be truly concerned about a successor’s convoy who is likely to follow his footsteps?
”This governor may have completely lost the pure essence and flavour of decorum expected of a public officer with careless conjectures captured in his speech like; ‘successor with a known email address’, successor who would see government as cabal’, successor who would fritter away our common wealth’.
”Your Excellency your worries are noted as it is only obvious that Akwa Ibom will never have it any worse. No one can successfully mock God. Even in the Bible when a king misrules and maltreats the people, God would raise another in rescue and will not need to rely on the consent of the dethroned king to get a replacement.’’
