AKPABIO TRICKS UOU SUPPORTERS

* That visit to the Ex-SSG

* What the State Governor told his ‘main’ man

Barely one day after the State Governor Godswill Akpabio sacked Obong Umana Umana from his cabinet as the secretary to State Government, he dramatically staged an infamous visit to Obong Umana Umana in his G-line Ewet Housing residence. Akpabio entered the House though Obong Umana’s private entry. Unconfirmed reports say that was the first time Akpabio ever visited Umana’s mansion.

Akpabio is said to have returned from an official assignment outside the state and drove straight from the Akwa Ibom International Airport to Umana’s house. In the governor’s entourage where the state chairman of the PDP Obong Paul Ekpo, some commissioners and aides of the governor, some House of Assembly members and some council chairmen. The governor is said to have proceeded straight to meet with Umana at the inner chambers of the house while others in the entourage waited in the sitting room of Obong Umana. The meeting is said to have lasted about forty five minutes before the governor came out and headed straight for his car and drove off to attend another PDP state caucus meeting were the now serving SSG Mr. Udom Emmanuel was introduced.

Ever since that meeting, issues have risen as to why Akpabio staged the meeting. Supporters of Umana Umana had started floating all sorts of news items and stories as well as rumours that the governor had gone to beg their benefactor and has even considered recalling him back to serve. Others had even argued that there is a document that the SSG has and that the governor went for it. UOU’s supporters had opined that the said document if exposed will nail the governor. Those opposed to Umana had criticized the governor’s visit describing the governor as a weak leader who is confused.

But checks by THE INK revealed that Akpabio’s visit to his erstwhile SSG was neither to beg nor to get any document whatsoever. It was gathered by a government house source that the visit was not also a display of cowardice by the Governor. A well placed person in the governor’s office informed our reporter that Akpabio went to see Obong Umana Umana when he got confirmed security reports that it was necessary for him to do that. Before the governor’s visit, it was widely reported that Umana developed a heart attack due to his unceremonious exit from the exalted seat of the SSG and that his health situation was a cause for concern.

Our source said this information had hit the governor hard and the state chief executive was accordingly urged to make that visit. Our source added that the governor’s visit went ahead to prove that there is not rift between Akpabio and Umana despite the humiliating manner that was employed by the state governor to relief his Ex-SSG of the job of “power housing” the seat of government.

Meanwhile the remaining UOU supporters who felt UOU was coming out to address them were disappointed when that is yet to happen fuelling fears that the Ex-SSG may actually be suffering from the shock of an untimely exit from the seat of the secretary to state government.