Monarch Hails Gov Eno’s Planned Defection to APC as Wise Decision

The Paramount Ruler of Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State, Professor Effiong Bassey Archianga, has described the planned defection of Governor Umo Eno from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a wise decision.

Professor Archianga also stated that the administration of President Ahmed Tinubu is doing well, but should control the prices of commodities in the country, expressing optimism that the president will construct the Ibom Deep Seaport. The monarch, who stated this in his palace last weekend, said strong opposition in the state was necessary for the spread of democracy dividends against one party dominating the system. He said the defection is for the overall interest of the state “to benefit from the administration of President Ahmed Tinubu who is working in synergy with Akwa Ibom’s son who is the Senate President.”

He said that Akwa Ibom under the administration of Godswill Akpabio as governor was very transparent, devoid of ethnic sentiments and sectional remapping, and frowned against the remapping of Obolo Nation, “an attempt by the immediate-past state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, which comprises Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Mbo Local Government Areas, describing it as illegal.

Professor Archianga, who said the administrations of Obong Victor Attah and Godswill Akpabio did not think of remapping, added that the former governor embarked on the remap for personal interest to have a share in the natural resources of Obolo Nation which was the reason he established litigation against the immediate-past governor.

He lamented bitterly that that was experienced during the remapping when many souls were lost all in an attempt for the Udom to carve Obolo to Eket because of the natural resources after they had occupied the land as it owners since I980.

“The father to the late governor, Brigadier U Esuene, was a fireman to an Ibeno man, serving under Ibeno man, and Esuene was a pupil at a primary school in Upenekang. His Royal Majesty Edidem E.C.D Abia from Eket was a pupil at the primary school, Upenekang in Ibeno. When the founder of Qua Iboe Church arrived here in Ibeno in 1896, it was we the royal fathers who wrote and requested that the church should be brought to us and we were the people who gave the missionaries the land. Now where were they? Most of them who claim they are from Eket are slaves and true sons of Eket cannot insult Ibeno people,” Archianga said.

The paramount ruler said almost everything about Udom’s government was “fake and illegal, creating problems in the state.”

He commended Governor Umo Eno for not inheriting the problems the immediate-past governor created with people in the state, including the Senate President, saying that Umo Eno has demonstrated Christianity in his political practices as a true Christian.