Re: 31 industries: Akpabio attributes failure to Nsima Ekere

 MY attention has been dràwn to the news story titled “31 Industries: Akpabio attributes failure to Nsima Ekere,” purportedly written by me and published in several internet fora and yahoogroups about a fictitious meeting the Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio held with supposed stakeholders from Ikot Abasi Federal constituency, in which the Governor is quoted to have made far-reaching pronouncements. 

It is reassuring that many people who have called me in connection with this story have instantly dismissed it as a complete fabrication which could not have been authored by me nor the words attributed to the Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio could have been said by him. Further investigations to the source of this piece of misinformation have placed it squarely as the handiwork of some desperate politicians whose ambition have not received the blessing of Akwa Ibom people. Furthermore, I wish to state as follows:

1.  That the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio had never held any meeting with the so-called stakeholders from Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency in the Governor’s Lodge, Abuja as alleged in the said report. Nor did he make the statements attributed to him.

2.  It follows therefore that the phantom meeting exists only in the imagination of the persons who fabricated this story.

3.  As is customary, Press Releases including pictures of events involving the Governor are always issued and personally signed by me. It is curious that in this case the authors have not even stated the date when this ghost meeting was held.

4. We understand that this is a season of politicking and as the primaries draw closer, some politicians who rely on propaganda to further their inordinate ambition have become very desperate and have resorted to lies and blackmail to achieve their aspiration. This story should be situated within this context.

5. It is instructive that the Governor, His Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio who is serving out his second term is not an aspirant to the office of the Governor in 2015 and therefore should not be made the issue in this campaign of hate and calumny.

6. We are however aware of the threat by a certain desperate politician who has vowed to bring down the administration of Chief Godswill Akpabio through all manners of fabrication through text messages and the media if the Governor does not endorse his ambition and wish to advice him to desist from devious act of infamy.

7.  For the umpteenth time, i wish to state with all emphasis that I can muster that the story is a fabrication from the pit of hell and should be totally ignored.


Anietie S. Ekong, Special Assitant on Media to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Abuja.