Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, has attributed most of the crimes in the country to cultism.
Emmanuel, at a parley with the media last Saturday, as part of activities marking his third year in office expressed concern that young people are initiated into cult groups and given guns which they grow up with.
“When they grow up, they would also want to form their own groups too, because they equally want to be leaders of their groups,” the governor said.
He disclosed that cultism does not respect any environment anymore as it has permeated sports and entertainment.
“You won’t believe that even at the sports festival we organised recently for pupils in secondary and primary schools, some were being threatened by their colleagues on cult grounds.”
He, however, said the state has achieved much in terms of security, stressing that security challenges, which has been rocking Ukanafun and Etim, in which many people have been killed, will soon be brought to an end.
“The criminals in Ukanafun and Etim local government areas were sponsored, and we are on the trail of their sponsors. Very soon, they will be brought to book. I won’t speak much on that since it is a security issue,” the governor said.
Emmanuel said he had kept his promise in terms of infrastructure development in the state and added that he has more projects to inaugurate than the number of days left for him in the office.
The governor, however, frowned at what he considered deliberate lies against his administration in the media and said although he welcomes constructive criticisms, which most times had helped him to correct his mistakes, deliberate lies were nevertheless destructive.
“I never claimed to know everything; It is only God who knows all things. I am open to ideas, even constructive criticisms, but, not issues that would destroy the state and scare away investors.
“Let us understand that pictures will change, names will change, but the state will remain. I will leave one day; billboards will also change, but, let us be conscious of the fact that this state will remain, and all of us will be here to benefit from its growth and otherwise. So, let us work for the benefit of the 6.5 million people living in this state,” the governor said.