The newly recruited personal assistants have been cautioned by Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Éno to live in their ward areas or risk being fired.
Any of them who were found to not be residing in his ward would be subject to immediate dismissal, he declared, adding that they would be let down because they had been appointed.
On Tuesday in Uyo, the state’s capital, as he inaugurated the state’s 368 PAs, the governor issued the warning.
Follow my example of treating everyone with respect, and work to bring the residents of your wards together, said Éno. You are now the governor’s personal assistants as a result of your appointment, your only allegiance is therefore to the governor.
“We have promised to return power to the people in line with our party mantra, ‘power to the people,’ and this really means power to the people at the grassroots. 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 you 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 who 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, note that the same way that we appointed you today, we will disappoint you tomorrow because the hands that has appointed can also disappoint.”
Read Also:
The governor announced the construction of a two-step liaison structure to interface between the 368 PAs and his office in order to promote easy coordination and orderliness in the structure of communication and task delivery.
In light of this, Eno chose Dr. Godwin Ntukudeh as his political adviser in addition to three honorary advisers from each of the state’s three senatorial districts.
Other appointments are Bishop Sam Akpan (Eket senatorial district), Dr. Henry Archibong (Uyo senatorial district), and Udo Akpan (Honourary Special Adviser, Political) for the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district.
“Having 368 people report to me would be very challenging,” he remarked. We’re going to set up certain mechanisms to help energize you all and make it easier for us to collaborate.
He underlined that the appointments do not affect how the Bureau of Political and Legislative Affairs performs its tasks.
He urged the new appointees to adopt a disposition of humility to mend fences, accommodate different interests, and show respect to leadership across levels while warning them against the abuse of office and display of dishonest tendencies that are detrimental to the unity of the party and society at large.
He urged those who were competent but had not yet been appointed to have patience because more opportunities will present themselves eventually.
