In the heart of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State is a sprawling empire of three magnificent properties owned by the state governor, Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio. The three properties with scores of rooms between (40 and 50) were developed in the last two years when Akpabio assumed office as the state's chief executive. Hitherto, the premises housing the three palatial edifices had one modest living house which has now transformed to be part of the new three giant structures that speaks volume of the amount of money available to the state and to the governor.
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Ironically, the government has not made a priority of affordable housing scheme for its largely agrarian population, much the civil servants. Following in the governor’s footstep are his cabinet members who see their positions as a life time opportunity to milk the state dry. The Secretary to the State Government, for instance, is also shooting up a fortress of a mansion in the Ewet Housing Estate. After expending millions of naira to get the structure to the third level, he ordered its demolition for another architectural masterpiece he said he saw somewhere and fell in love with. Pronto, the building was pulled down and reconstruction started almost immediately.
This is a bug that has bitten the close aides of the governor as they lavish state resources to procure extravagant personal comfort beyond their actual and reasonable need. The recent shameful treatment meted out to the governor at the Peace Summit Concert put together by discredited Mr. Nduka Obaigbena and his cash-for-space media, ThisDay, is a testimony to the grievance of the people of the state. They had found it confounding to rationalise the expenditure of N140,000,000.00 (N140million) for a peace concert for militants whose activities in the state were unknown until the coming of AKpabio to governance. If the peace concert waste is inexplicable, then the conservative estimate of N1billion for the final burial rites of the late father of the governor’s nephew, Prince Akpabio is crazy. The death occurred over 20 years ago but such lavish funeral could only be thought of now that the state coffers are full and particularly exclusively accessible to the Akpabios. Particularly miffed at the shameless profligacy that is depleting the state treasury at an alarming and disdainful manner are the Annangs, the governor’s stock.
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They have constantly cried out loud that Akpabio’s governorship has not been a special blessing to them but rather to a few of the governor’s kinsmen. They name the primary beneficiaries of the mismanagement in the state as: Prince Akpabio; the governor’s brother, Mbanga Akpabio; Emem Akpabio; Nsetip Akpabio and his friend and co-traveller in the spending spree and contract jamboree, Barrister Sylvester Okoronkwo. Also listed is his godfather, Chief Tony Anenih, erstwhile works minister and chairman of the board of trustees of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party. Leaders in the state have failed to rise to the gradual impoverishment of the state. Rather, they have chosen to be part of the rummaging by licking the boots of the governor.
This explains the servant role of a political turncoat and former military administrator of the state, Mr. Idongesit Ikanga who’s said to be the unofficial most senior Personal Assistant to the governor. As the chairman of the state’s airport implementation committee, citizens have asked for a full account of the management of the huge sums of money said to have been expended on the project. The people are also asking the state to justify the listing of a prominent monarch in the northern part of the country in the governor’s payroll. It is not deniable that the emir of Kano has some monthly entitlements from the state coffers among other benefits in kind. Should the governor’s backers want to dismiss the orchestrated bleeding of the state, it will be appreciated if they can explain why kidnapping, militancy, cultism activities, assassination were unknown to the state until recently under Akpabio. Akwa Ibomites must rise and say NO to the wanton despoliation of our darling state. We’ve never been known to be cowards, so, let not us begin to be seen so now.
Comrade Nse Akpan Udofia Essien Udim LG Akwa Ibom State.
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