Why Udom Emmanuel Sacked Akpabio’s Men

MICHAEL AKINOLA

Since the news of a long expected sack of the entire cabinet of Akwa Ibom State Government by Governor Udom Emmanuel filtered out Saturday night, many have adduced various reasons for what has been described as the brave move by the governor.

The Secretary to the State Government, Etekamba Umoren, in a statement announcing the sack of the commissioners, gave no reason for the dissolution. However, sources close to the Government House, Uyo said there have been pervading but silent mutual distrust between the governor and most of the cabinet members believed to have been practically imposed on the governor by the immediate past governor and Senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Those sacked are Mr. Uwemedimo Thomas Nwoko, Attorney-General/Commissioner of Justice; Mr. Akan Okon, Commissioner for Finance; Dr. Mathew Nathan Ekaette, Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Mr. Ephraim Akparawa Inyang-eyen, Commissioner for Works, and Prince Godwin Ntukude, Commissioner of Transport. Others are Aniekan Simon Akpan, Commissioner of Education; Dr. Dominic Ukpong, Commissioner of Health; Uwem Ita Etuk, Commissioner of Lands/Town Planning; and Mr. Enobong Emmanuel Uwah, Commissioner of Housing and Urban Renewal.

Majority of the outgoing commissioners had been in the state executive council since 2007, when Akpabio was in charge of the state.

Notwithstanding his stellar corporate profile, Emmanuel was considered a green horn in political governance, compared to 22 other aspirants angled to succeed Akpabio. But Akpabio, against all opposition, installed Emmanuel as his successor. Not done with that, he also choose almost all Emmanuel’s commissioners and even Special Advisers. Of the 16 nominees, 10 were recycled from the Akpabio administration.

Since the inauguration of the Exco, there has been fight over supremacy between Akpabio’s men and Emmanuel’s. The grouse of the Emmanuel’s men is the perceived overbearing attitude of the Akpabio’s operating on the platform of Ukana Dynasty. To the governor’s men, they believe the Ukanas have had a fair share of Akwa Ibom State for straight eight years and it should be their turn.

A source said the governor has been worried about the question of loyalty as many of these commissioners unabashedly displayed their loyalty more to Akpabio than to the governor who is their current principal.

There were also unconfirmed rumours that some of these exco members always fed Akpabio on the day-to-day activities of government as well as revealing some classified information to the Senator. This did not go down well with Emmanuel whom many have been described with very many unpalatable names.

The source said this suspicion and the bickering between the two camps are taking its toil on the running of Udom Emmanuel’s administration. He was said to have taking the bold step to correct things by axing the team before their actions snowballed into a major crisis that could dog his tenure.