Udom in hot soup

* Faces very fierce battle at home
* Ekid nation Stakeholders say Governor’s appointments deliberate to scheme them out
* May back UOU incase of a re-run

 

Udom Emmanuel

Leaders and Stakehold ers of different socio-cultural groups in Ekid nation are not happy with the state Governor Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. They made this known to our reporters in Eket, Esit Eket and Uyo Local Government Areas in an interaction over the weekend. The group alleged that the state Chief Executive is bias, insincere, dishonest and not christianly in his appointments so far. They opined that Mr. Udom Emmanuel has shown enough sectionalism in the discharge of the duties of his office especially as evident in the appointment that he has so far made.

They maintained that almost if not all sensitive positions in the state have been ceded to the Governor’s Awa Iman indigenes, his in-laws and or his Lagos based friends. They reasoned that this action of the Governor does not represent the position of a man that is coming to serve the people. Ekid Stakeholders opined that Governor Emmanuel is an ethnicist and is not ready to touch the general well being of the people.
Two principal leaders of Afigh Iwaad Ekid said, we are disappointed that the Governor who is from Eket Senatorial District has not acted in accordance with the law, the rules of engagement and what he described as the State character. Two of the leaders of the group added that for Gov. Emmanuel to set up some committees make some very meaningful appointments and schemed out Ekid nation is not only worrisome but very sad. They reasoned that the posturing of Udom Emmanuel is an early sign that the administration will not do the region any good. They lamented the lack of Government accommodation they have so far received from Udom’s administration few months into his government.
Speaking to our reporter over the weekend at the secretariat of the apex Ekid organization along RCC road in Eket those leaders said, with the rate at which the Governor is going about running the affairs of the state, that it is obvious Mr. Emmanuel has AWA IMANIZE the leadership of the state. They queried why the Governor will refuse to accommodate Ekid nation in her scheme of things. They also added that the people of Ekid nation gave their all to Udom Emmanuel but yet what they have gotten in exchange is outright rejection and a scheme out from the state Governor.
The Afigh Iwaad Ekid is not alone in this lamentation as their counterparts of Ekid peoples Union have joined in expressing anger with Governor Emmanuel over what they described as the shoddy and shabby treatment Ekid people are receiving from the Government of the day. This group which has matured men and senior professionals like Professor Asindi, Chief Nduese Essien, Obong ECD Abia was very direct when it made her position known to another of our reporter along Afaha Eket road.
A very senior and committed member of  the Union who refused his name in print said, the Forum have watched with sadness and shock the manner in which Udom Emmanuel is running his administration over one hundred days after his swearing in. he said, the Forum has observed that Udom Emmanuel’s administration is not Ekid friendly as shown by his approach to governance. The leader of this group said, a situation where the Governor connives with some aliens to take decision for the people of Ekid nation is not only wicked but an insult on the collective intelligence of the Ekid nation.
He said, the Forum has restrained itself from making further or any comments simply because it was believed that Mr. Emmanuel will change. He expressed total disappointment with the leadership style of the Governor saying it is not worthy of celebration. He said, in terms of appointments, in terms of citing an industry or any meaningful project that the Governor has not considered the people of Ekid nation and then wondered why the people should build confidence on the state Chief Executive.
One of the top and first five citizens of Ekid Peoples Forum said, the Qua Steel Industry, Akwa Palm are some of the Ekid based companies that needs a touch but that Governor Udom Emmanuel has wickedly decided to shut his eyes towards them and yet ios preaching industrialization of the state. He querried and asked rhetorically why the people of the state should believe that Udom Emmanuel is ready to industrialize Akwa Ibom if he cannot give a touch to those mentioned companies.
He spoke further and said, even the roads in Ekid nation are bad, economic life of the people are falling, the life span of the people are dropping and yet the Governor goes about talking to the whole world that he is coming to industrialize Akwa Ibom State.
The Ekid peoples Forum leader said his verdict on the Governor is the position of both Executive and other members and of the Forum. He said for the people of Ekid Peoples Forum, Udom’s industrialization policy is still suspicious to them. He asked why Gov. Emmanuel could not start the industrialization moves in his domain if he had wanted to be taken seriously.
Another group of people who spoke to our reporter on what they described as the Governor’s callous and insensitive treatment of the Ekid nation is the Ekid Peoples Assembly. This group which has also top professionals from Ekid nation described Governor Udom Emmanuel as a carpenter who values others more than himself and expressed dissatisfaction over the treatment of the people of the region by Governor Emmanuel. They said in an interaction with our reporter that Udom has not find an Ekid son worthy of appointment into any sensitive position of government so far. They said, Udom has not found any of their sons and daughters worthy of being given any consultancy job. They described Udom as an unworthy son of the Federal constituency that has failed to recognize the fact that charity begins at home.
In their separate remarks, the group came out hitting the Governor very hard, they said Governor Emmanuel needs to hastily work hard to ensure that the confidence the people had in working for him is restored. They said, the earlier the Governor realizes that he is a product of Ekid nation, the better for him as anything short of that will see them staging a protest using any means against the Government of Udom Emmanuel for neglecting the oil rich region of Ekid nation.