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 Godswill 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 organized 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 Governor on Legislative and Political Affairs-Barrister Ekong
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, Governor 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 Emmanuel 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.
Governor 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 Govenor.
It is note-worthy to note
here that in spite of the current difficult 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
Ekerete Udoh
Senior Special Assistant (Media)/
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Udom Emmanuel
No comments: