.Accuses ex-governor of profligacy, treachery
Ahead the constitution of his next cabinet, a leadership and integrity advocacy group in Akwa Ibom, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari against considering former governor of the state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, among his incoming ministers, accusing him of lacking the integrity for the office. The group’s position was contained in a petition it had forwarded to the president, in which it accused the senator of mischief, treachery, flippancy and pettiness, among others. The petition was signed by the Executive Vice President of the body, Dr. Asuquo Edidem Etim.
It also cited alleged pending corruption charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), against Akpabio, among reasons why the president should not consider him for appointment. In the petition, dated May 24, 2019, and captioned, “Ministerial Appointments: Why Appointing Akpabio May be Counter Productive” the group, Ibom Integrity and Servant Leadership Culture Initiative (IISLCI), warned that appointing Akpabio minister would be “counter-productive, a moral burden and a mockery of anti-corruption war, by a government that “prides itself as anti-graft champion.”
It further accused the Senator of being a “destabilizing agent”, attributing the poor showing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state, in the last election, to what it described as the “destabilizing and authoritarian tendencies of Senator Akpabio, who only believes that it’s either his way or nobody’s”.
According to IISLCI, “many had thought that his (Akpabio) joining APC would bring good fortunes to the party in the state, but rather, his highhanded nature and disrespect for internal democracy in the party and the will of the people to choose their leaders, became a raging storm that uprooted the recognized structures of the party right from the grassroots, as he imposed party leaders even at the unit and wards levels”, it added. It further alleged that this overwhelming tendencies of the senator, accounted for the poor outing of the APC governorship candidate, in the state, Nsima Ekere.
In place of Akpabio, the group, which obviously has positive sentiments for the APC, argued that Akwa Ibom “has several other eminent persons that could represent the state in the coming government, just as Mr. Udoma Udo Udoma, Minister of Budget and National Planning, has done creditably in the past four years”. Among these, it listed Chief Umana Umana and Senator John Udoedehe, as those who had toiled to keep the party afloat over time in the state
It claimed that having been rejected as representative of his people, “Akpabio has become very desperate for a fresh political power from back door of ministerial appointment, which we fear he may use with vengeance against us, his people and the state”, alleging that he and his supporters are already claiming that he is ‘a federal powerhouse’ in waiting.
” For instance, he is busy throwing his weight around in the state boasting to those who care to listen that ‘Mr. President is even begging me to accept a ministerial position. That is how important I am in this country. But they know that having missed the Senate Presidency, I can only accept a super ministry. That is if I don’t get the chief of staff position’.
The group, thus, pleaded with the President to save “Akwa Ibom from a potential ugly scenario, similar to that of Rivers state, between Gov. Wike and Amaechi, that has turned the state into a field of blood and destruction, fuelled by ego and avoidable rivalry”.
It remarked that Akpabio who had in the past, been APC’s nemesis in the state, cannot suddenly become its leader on account of the President’s generosity, adding that such would not be fair to those who had borne the brunt of the former governor’s highhandedness when he was in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The group which described itself as core believers in Mr. President’s leadership philosophy that is rooted in integrity, transparency and servant leadership, said it believes it is incumbent on it to help him achieve an enhanced performance in his second and final term in office.
It posits that Buhari’s second term, comes with higher expectations and bigger responsibilities, stressing that in that regard, expectations will be high on him to see how he would translate his Next Level programme from the podium of rhetoric to the reality of genuine positive impact that would leave Nigeria better.
“But we caution that to achieve these objectives, Mr. President, the nation needs an atmosphere of peace and you and your government deserve an environment devoid of unnecessary distractions, irritations, rancour and bickering that may arise from the egocentric nature of political appointees”, it stressed.
