24 April, 2014

AKWA IBOM 2015: AKPABIO SACKS AIDES OPPOSED TO SUCCESSION PLAN

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday sacked some of his aides in what observers say is a continuation of the intense politicking in the build up to 2015 elections.
Those dropped from the State Executive Council include long standing political associates and loyalists of the governor: the Commissioner of Finance, Bassey Akpan; and Commissioner for Rural Development, Effiong Abia.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aniekan Umanah, said the governor also approved the immediate removal of the Chairmen of some Boards of government parastatals and agencies in the state.
The affected chairmen include those for Akwa Ibom Property and Investment Company Limited, APICO, Sunny Udom; Akwa Ibom Water Company Limited, AKWCL, Patrick Ifon; Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation, AKNC, Dan Akai; and Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, AKBC, Alex Nyong. The Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Management Board, AKEPMB, John Asikpo; and that of Akwa Ibom State Agency for Community and Social Development, Tony Esu, were also asked to go home in the “minor cabinet reshuffle.”

Mr. Umanah said the decision to sack the commissioners and the aides became necessary “in view of the need to re invigorate the machinery of government and drive further the Uncommon Transformation Programs of the State.”
While directing the commissioners to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries in their respective ministries, Mr. Umanah conveyed the appreciation of the governor to the former officials for their contributions to the development of the state. He wished them success in their future endeavours.
However, close followers of the political developments in the state told PREMIUM TIMES that the decision to relieve the former office holders of their appointments was a direct fallout of the political scheming and calculations as part of Mr. Akpabio’s agenda for 2015.
Mr. Akpabio is believed to have chosen the Secretary to the State Government, Emmanuel Udom, whom he personally recruited for the job, as his successor. Mr. Akpabio would have completed his constitutionally allowed two-terms by 2015.
Most of the persons dropped in the latest cabinet shake-up are said to want to vie for one political office or the other come 2015, or were considered to be opposed to the governor’s plot to impose his anointed candidate for 2015.
There are also those who the governor felt must give way based on doubts on their loyalty and allegiance to the administration, following their alleged affiliations and subtle leanings to some prominent opposition politicians in the state.
Some of the sacked officials were either known or suspected political loyalists to the former Secretary to the State Government, Umanah Umanah, who was also sacked in 2013 after he public declared his ambition to contest for governor in 2015.
For instance, the sacked Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Akpan, was said to have been top on Mr. Akpabio’s list of cabinet members to go not only because of his long undeclared ambition to contest in 2015, but also for his continued political loyalty to Mr. Umanah, his one-time political mentor.
For the former Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Abia, he has for long been touted as Mr. Akpabio’s anointed successor. He is from the Eket Senatorial district, the zone the governor wants to produce the next governor come 2015.
Mr. Abia is widely believed to be part of Mr. Akpabio’s political scheme, as a fall back alternative in the fierce succession plan, should the original plan with Mr. Udom fail to fly.
The recent Town Hall meetings organised during the governor’s tour of the 31 local government areas in the state saw consensus votes openly canvassed for a candidate from Eket Senatorial zone.
The cabinet reshuffle was said to have been the aftermath of a State People Democratic Party, PDP, Executive Committee meeting held on Tuesday, which ratified the ‘political consensus’ that the party’s governorship slot be zoned to Eket.
During the meeting, members also resolved that the zoning arrangement must not be allowed to hinder the political ambitions of other candidates of the party from other senatorial districts who may be willing to contest for governor in 2015.
The resolutions at the meeting were said to have thrown the gates open for Mr. Akpan and Mr. Abia to exit the cabinet, mobilise and consolidate support in pursuit of their political aspirations.
For the sacked board chairmen, they were said to have signed a public document issued by party chieftains and other political leaders in the state demanding that the governor allows his successor to emerge through a democratic electoral process, rather than through consensus.
The action of the chairmen was reportedly seen by the governor as not only confrontational, but also a display of disloyalty to him.
Meanwhile, the traditional leadership of the Ibibio people, represented by the Ibibio traditional Council, was said to have convened a meeting in the outskirts of Uyo, the state capital on Thursday to weigh the implications of the outcome of the PDP Exco meeting, particularly as it affects their political interests.

Source: Premium Times

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...