Akwa Ibom Governor Queries over 200 Aides for Disloyalty

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has queried over 200 aides for being absent at a function organised by the state government without permission.

In the query dated February 25, according to Premium Times, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Enobong Uwah, said the affected aides were absent at the inauguration of the Model Health Centres at Udung Uko and Ika Local Government Areas (LGAs) on February 21.

Uwah said the action amounts to “insubordination and disloyalty” to the government that appointed them.
“It is on this note that you’re directed to explain within 48 hours of the receipt of this query why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for such an act of disobedience,” Uwah said in a letter seen by this newspaper.

The query added that the failure to respond within the stipulated time would be considered that “you have no response and appropriate sanction will be taken against you.”
Eno has appointed a legion of aides, including 368 drawn from all the wards in the state, the largest ever in the history of the state.

Additionally, Eno had also appointed 50 media aides and a litany of others categorised as Senior Special Assistants (SSA), Special Assistants (SA) and Personal Assistants (PA).
The Akwa Ibom State Government, in a statement dated September 4, 2024 and signed by Uwah, frowned at the absence of political appointees at the governor’s appointments, an action he said was not appropriate for the team spirit of the governor’s development blueprint: Arise Agenda.

The statement said it was “mandatory” for all commissioners and special advisers, economic and political advisers, chairpersons and members of boards and commissions, honorary special advisers, SSAs, SAs, PAs, and political appointees to attend governor’s appointments and official functions.
“The governor’s directive said that political appointees are expected to show their unalloyed support to Governor Eno by attending all the governor’s appointments and official functions.
“Strict compliance to this notice is expected from everyone concerned,” Uwah said last year.

Several of them, who preferred to be anonymous, wondered how they would attend state functions when the state government does not provide transportation allowance or mobility for such exercise.

“They expect us to use our salaries for transportation to governor’s appointments.

“The governor has refused to release funds to SA in charge of grassroots mobilisation for them to mobilise people to government events, as was always done in the times of (former governors) Senator Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel, so he wants the aides to take the place of the cheerleaders by standing under the sun alongside the purple, lemon, orange and golden girls.

“They are planning a six-month suspension without salary. This is the result of what we voted for,” the aide lamented.