More Heads May Roll in Udom Cabinet over Governor’s Choice of Who Takes over from Him and Why Many of His Team are Not Happy with His Choice  

HighLife

Politics in Nigeria is not like politics elsewhere. The players elsewhere may have single heads and double agendas but their commitment to personal interest does not come close to what is obtainable in the Nigerian court. And so it is that the government of Akwa Ibom led by Governor Udom Emmanuel is not having it easy quelling the doubts that have arisen due to the matter of governorship succession and senatorial zoning.

The greatest and most recent evidence of the crisis within Akwa Ibom’s inner circle of authority figures is the sack of the state’s Chief of Staff, Ephraim Inyang-Eyen. The strange element in Inyang-Eyen’s sack is not that he ought to have been fine until Governor Emmanuel vacates the governorship seat. Instead, the strange thing is that Inyang-Eyen had his years of service cut short so that the government could, as explained in the letter served him, “… maintain economic development of the state in peace.”

The letter delivered by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to Inyang-Eyen went on to wish him well in future endeavours with nothing sort of approval from Governor Emmanuel. But is it all a case of sacrificing one for the welfare of many? Many would disagree.

Inyang-Eyen has been faulted by many for attempting to run against the grain. This he did when he declared his intention to join the senatorial election for Akwa Ibom South. However, the seat had already been zoned to a different local government area within the district. But why did Inyang-Eyen insist on this even though he knows about the zoning policy?

Political analysts have reported that Inyang-Eyen was not at all happy with Governor Emmanuel’s choice of who will take over from him, Umo Eno, the current Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources in Akwa Ibom. Whereas Inyang-Eyen was not the only political stakeholder irked by Governor Emmanuel’s choice, he has expressed his dissatisfaction most radically. And lost his head in the process according to pundits.

Whichever the case, more heads might likely roll until 2023 as Governor Emmanuel’s cabinet experiences many adjustments.