At a media briefing on the eve of the 37th anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom state, Governor Umo Eno unequivocally declared his cabinet and boards were “due for dissolution”.
Regardless of coming just 16 months into his administration, the pronouncement hardly surprised any Akwa Ibomite.
The governor on assumption of office had retained entire cabinet of his predecessor and benefactor, Emmanuel Udom, including all commissioners and some senior aides who served the previous administration.
Stakeholders harped on the allegation that the Udom’s men were forced on him.
In denial, Umo had defended that: “By my training and upbringing, people don’t go to a war with you and win the war and you push them aside. It is not a good thing to do
because you will need them again for another battle and people won’t trust you.
“So these guys went to war with me, they were with me in the trenches and we won. How do I reward them, throw them away?”
Months later, there has been intense pressure on the governor to shed the Udom’s men to appoint a fresh cabinet. Whether caving in to the pressure or deliberately responding to own instincts, the disclosure on the eve of the 37th state’s creation anniversary was not the first time Eno would bare his frustrations with the inherited cabinet.
Though in June of this year, he fended off the speculations, saying his concern was not to change commissioners but to make those serving “fit into the mould” for driving his ARISE Agenda, three months after he had started baring his irritation with the inherited cabinet.
Notwithstanding his restraint, the month of June did witness the governor’s sack of his Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr Bassey Okon, with “immediate effect” according to a statement through Prince Uwah, Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
Uwah simply stated, “In ongoing efforts to reposition his administration in line with his ARISE Agenda, the governor, Pastor Eno has relieved Dr. Bassey. P, Okon, the Commissioner for Special Duties as member of Akwa Ibom State Executive Council (EXCO);with immediate effect.”
Digging Justifications To Weed Udom’s Men
Whether finding fault on purpose or inadvertently conjuring justifications for more displacement, Governor Eno in a September 9 riot act read through the SSG warned of dire consequences.
Targeted at all commissioners, special advisers, board chairmen and members, and personal assistants of all cadres , the circular read, “The Governor has observed that some political appointees of Government are in the habit of not attending Governor’s appointments without prior notice or permission.
“The practice is not appropriate with the team spirit encapsulated in the ARISE Agenda. Arising from the above observation and in line with the Governor’s directive, political appointees are expected to show unalloyed support to the Governor by attending all Governor’s appointments and official functions. Strict compliance to this notice is expected from everyone concerned.”
Boiling Point
By mid September, the governor was visibly losing it with the cabinet and no more hiding his feelings. The Dune quoted Eno as lashing “I don’t trust any of you”.
It was at a Sunday service of the Delightful Christian Church, Uyo with Deputy Governor, Speaker of the House of Assembly, State Chairman of the PDP, Head of the Civil Service and other top functionaries of his government present.
However, still shy of spelling cabinet change at that point, the governor resolved to duplicate functions of his executive teams, including commissioners and already bloated clan of aides, more than 600, by The Dune’s estimate.
“We have decided to appoint delivery advisors to accelerate the execution of our projects because there is a lot of work to do. We want to ensure Government promises are followed through, and we must have what is identified globally as delivery advisors.
“We must, as a State, begin to have people that don’t get involved in politics, but their jobs would be to sit down to ensure that everything we have said is being followed up”, the governor stated.
Rubbing It On Their Faces
By 22 Septembers, the eve of the 37th Anniversary of the state’s creation, Governor Eno wasn’t hiding his feelings anymore. Pointblank with his entire cabinet present, he went, “Both the EXCO and the boards (statutory and non-statutory) are due for dissolution, No doubt about that.
“But it will not come as a surprise. I know we will dissolve the boards, and we will also dissolve the EXCO. Sixteen months into a new administration, you need to reorganise the system, and members of the Executive Council know that. But I promise them that we will not do it as a surprise.
“Some of them have served through three administrations. Some were my colleagues in the last administration. So, you don’t just wake up in the morning and say the EXCO is dissolved. We will give them the honour of having a valedictory session before dissolving the EXCO and changing the system. But we will ensure we choose the right and appropriate time.”
Stakeholders Have Their Say
A Government House source noted, “Governor Eno does not trust many, if not all, as he said. That is why he has underfunded most of the ministries. At the same time, he would need the nod of the former governor to drop them. He is truly in a fix. That will remain so until after the Local Government elections.”
The Local Government elections have come and gone, but the governor, so sure his EXCO is due for dissolution, remains unsure of the right time to take action.
With the governor’s backing, both commissioners for Environment and Mineral Resources, Chief Etim Uno from Urueoffong Oruko LGA and that of Labour and Manpower Planning, Mr Aniefiok Nkom, of Ikot Ekpene LGA, resigned to contest, won and have since been sworn in as chairmen for their respective LGs.
Another key figure in the state’s corridors of power, said, “He (Eno) is saying the cabinet sack won’t come as a surprise. I doubt his sincerity on that. He is going to take them by surprise. He is not comfortable that his cabinet still owes more allegiance to his predecessor than to him.
“That was what all the warning and ordering appointees to attend all the governor’s functions was all about. Anytime Udom flies into town, many of the commissioners abandon official functions of the incumbent governor to welcome his predecessor from the airport and attend to him during his stay. Eno may not be comfortable with that.”
For the Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Zik Gbemre, Coordinator said, “Why does Governor Eno choose to bark when he cannot bite over a decision that is entirely his prerogative to take? He has the exclusive right, power to hire and fire any member of his cabinet. And that goes for the boards.
“If he wants to sack, let him sack and stop disturbing the ears of Akwa Ibomites who didn’t ask him for explanation. There is no honour in him making public display of threat to dissolve cabinet when it is common knowledge his hands are tied.
“And because his hands are tied, he brags about wanting to introduce some cosmetic ‘delivery advisors’. This is sheer euphemism for duplication of his already bloated cabinet.
“Now, is he not thinking about wastage? He would pay some appointees to carry out functions of commissioners and aides, majority of who he has made redundant with poor funding of their ministries. Like I said, if Governor Eno wants to sack or reshuffle his cabinet, let him do so and stop disturbing our ears.”
Peoplesmind
