From JOE EFFIONG, UYO
Akwa Ibom state governor, Mr Umo Eno, has appointed 368 people as his personal assistants with a task on them to utilize their position as ambassadors of government to propagate the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda blueprint at the grassroots and ensure peace and unity in their respective communities.
The 368 petsons are representatives of the 368 wards in the state.
Similarly, Eno has also appointed the former commissioner for transport in the state, Dr. Godwin Ntukudeh as political adviser to the governor, even as three other persons have been appointed honorary special advisers to represent the three senatorial districts.
While inaugurating the personal assistants, on Monday , at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, Eno harped on sincerity and fidelity, saying that the demand on them to reside in their community was a deliberate orchestration to enable government have a good grasp of situations at the grassroots.
“Follow my footsteps of respect to everyone and please try to unite the people in your wards. Now that you have been appointed, you are the personal assistants to the governor. So your loyalty is just to the Governor”, he said.
This, he further affirmed, will enhance the planning and implementation of the present administration’s rural development programmes as spelt out in the A.R.I.S.E. Agenda goals and to concentrate power in the grassroots in line with the PDP mantra of “Power to the People”.
“We had promised to return Power to the people in line with our party mantra, and power to the people really mean power to the people at the grassroot. That’s what we are trying to do.
“We insisted that everyone that has been picked will live within their wards. And I hope this is the true situation. But let me warn that if there is any time we find out that you are not living in your ward, we will not hesitate to remove you. We want people that will give us reports on the ground in their various wards.
“So if you take this appointment and we later find out that you are in Uyo, or you are not living within your own ward, please note that the same way that we appointed you today, we will disappoint you because the hands that has appointed can also disappoint.”
To ensure ease of coordination and orderliness in the structure of communication and work delivery, the governor also announced the creation of a two-step liaison structure to interface between the 368 personal aides and his office, by appointing a political adviser and three honorary advisers from the three Senatorial districts of the State.
The other appointees were Sir Udo Kierian Akpan as honourary special sdviser, political, for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Bishop Sam Akpan for Eket Senatorial District and Dr. Henry Archibong for Uyo Senatorial District.
“368 people reporting to me would be very difficult. There are structures that we are going to put in place that would help galvanised you all and help us to work together.”
The appointments, he clarified, has no interference with the duties of the Bureau of Political and Legislative Affairs.
The Governor cautioned the new appointees against abuse of office and display of dishonest tendencies that are inimical to the unity of the party and the society at large, urging them to adopt a disposition of humility to mend fences, accommodate various interests and show respect to leadership across levels, while appealing to other qualified but not yet opportuned stalwarts to be patient as other opportunities will keep unfolding in due course.
“I have also appealed to those that have not been favoured this time. Let’s not make too much noise about it. We are moving steadily. Right now, I am aware that the Ministry of Internal Security and Water Ways is recruiting Neighborhood Watchers. All of these things are ways of ensuring that we bring peace to our villages”, he explained.