Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has doubled down on his insistence that his aides must attend all his appointments, following him around during his daily engagements.
In a statement on Friday, the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Enobong Uwah, said the governor has expressed displeasure at the frequent attitude of the executive members leaving or abandoning the governor while he is still engaging or interacting with people at a venue.
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“This is a breach of protocol and therefore unacceptable in all ramifications,” Mr Uwah said, emphasising that the statement was a “final warning” to cabinet members that any further occurrence would not be taken lightly.
It’s insubordination – Eno
Mr Eno served as commissioner for Lands and Water Resources under the administration of former Governor Udom Emmanuel.
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After becoming governor in May 2023, Mr Eno inherited 100 per cent of his former cabinet colleagues. He, however, rejigged the cabinet in February, dropping some former cabinet colleagues who served with him in the former administration.
Besides the appointment of commissioners, Mr Eno has also made other appointments as aides and has insisted that his aides should accompany him during official engagements.
In a video where he threatened to fire any commissioner who failed to accompany him or leave in a middle of an event, Mr Eno described such an attitude from his commissioners as insubordination.
In the video, he appeared to be addressing reporters at a project site, but the location of the site is unclear.
“Starting today, I would like everyone to hear that when they hear that I have fired a commissioner in your local government, it is insubordination. It is wrong for the governor to go on an appointment (and) if nobody else follows him, my commissioners, special advisers, are members of my first eleven.
“And I do not announce where I would go. It is mandatory for my commissioners to ensure that they take me either back to the office or to the lodge, because if I stop by anywhere, there can be issues that would be raised so the commissioner in charge of that (ministry) will attend to me,” said Mr Eno in the video.
“A situation where we go to a place, I leave the place, the commissioner takes off to what I don’t know. This is a full-time job, 24/7, and so if any commissioner is busy doing his thing, you’re not yet ready to be commissioner,” he stressed.
He reminded the people that he was also a commissioner, and he never left his governor behind.
“Today is the last day I make this statement, and I am doing it publicly. Anytime I leave an event and stop by anywhere, let the commissioner pray that I don’t look for that commissioner.
“If I look for that commissioner, and the commissioner is not there. The commissioner would lose his or her job right there and then,” said Governor Eno.
Not the first time
This is not the first time Mr Eno has threatened to fire aides who failed to accompany him.
This newspaper in March reported how the governor queried over 200 aides for being absent from his (Mr Eno’s) appointment without permission.
Mr Eno has appointed a legion of aides, including 368 drawn from all the wards in the state, 50 media aides, and a handful of others.
In the query dated 25 February, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Uwah, said the affected aides were absent at the commissioning of the Model Health Centres at Udung Uko and Ika local government areas on 21 February.
Mr Uwah said the action amounts to “insubordination and disloyalty” to the government that appointed them. He gave the affected aides 48 hours to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.
The statement said it was “mandatory” for all commissioners and special advisers, economic and political advisers, chairpersons and members of boards and commissions, honorary special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants, personal assistants, and political appointees to attend the governor’s appointments and official functions.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Eno’s aides are now made to sign an attendance register at public functions attended by the governor.
“I have seen it at several events. Aides are given attendance sheet to write their names on every occasion that the governor is attending,” one of the aides, who preferred to be anonymous, told PREMIUM TIMES.
