Udom Emmanuel goes spiritual BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

   ….Begs Governor for Support
   ….You will continue in 2015 - Akpabio

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Udom Emmanuel last Sunday appreciated God for His faithfulness upon his life, family and his recent appointment as the Secretary to the State Government. 

The special thanksgiving service was held at Qua Iboe Church Primary School, Awa-Iman in Onna Local Government Area. 

Udom Emmanuel while thanking God said he was humbled by God’s extravagant grace on his life looking back at the memorial stones of His love and blessings. He thanked the state Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio for finding him fit to be the SSG and the people of the state for the support given him so far.

While commending the Governor for his uncommon transformation of the state, the State Secretary pleaded with the Governor to support him in his bid to succeed him as the next Governor in 2015 and appealed to the people to support the Governor till t he end of his tenure. He noted that he cannot be distracted by envious distractors while calling on the governor to speak to him by supporting his ambition even as he promised never to fail the people. 

In his speech, Governor Godswill Akpabio described the SSG as the qualified candidate to succeed him in office come 2015, having zoned the governorship ticket to Eket Senatorial District.

He promised the SSG that he will succeed him in 2015 through his support and backing of the people of Eket Senatorial District. Although the Governor refused to mention publicly whether the SSG will succeed him as the governor, his speech “the SSG has qualified himself that he is ready to contest, who am I to disqualify him?” rings a bell on his plan for the forthcoming elections. 

The Governor used the opportunity to debunk the rumours going round the state that he fights the Ibibios “we decided to come to Onna for a thanksgiving because some people are going around saying that the exit of the former State Secretary, Obong UmanaUmana was a fight against the Ibibios, so if an Ibibio son left office and another Ibibio son takes over, is that a fight against the Ibibio?

He advised politicians who go round the state with rumours that he is fighting the Ibibios in order to achieve cheap popularity and favour to desist from such act.
According to the governor “if I were a politician and I have the ambition to contest the governorship election and I am here in this gathering, I would have stepped down because there will be no rigging of election in 2015, the people’s vote will count”. Akpabio advised.

Earlier in his exhortation, the officiating minister at the thanksgiving service, Apostle Emmanuel Kure urged Christians to always wait on God for the fulfillment of His promises while advising politicians to desist from defamation ahead of the elections.

The man of God who drew his text from the book of Acts 2:18-20, said Christians should seek to be united in their doings and called on them to learn to tell the truth, adding that this year will be great in the history of mankind especially those that will obey the commandments of the lord.  

“Politicians should be careful this year and show righteousness so that it will be well with them’’.