Presidential aide battles Emmanuel over varsity location in gov’s domain
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang, has berated the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, for insisting that the location of the proposed Federal University of Technology should be in his home town, Onna.
He described the governor’s desire to have the University sited in Onna which already has a flour mill, a syringe factory, a plywood mill, a university teaching hospital and the best road network as ‘improper and imprudent.’
Enang spoke on Sunday at a media briefing in his Ewet Housing residence against the backdrop of the governor’s insistence that the proposed university be sited in Onna.
He said Emmanuel was elected as the governor of Akwa Ibom State and not the chairman of Onna, adding that by working to attract development only to his home town, the governor was acting in a manner that he could be described as ‘Udomcentric,’ ‘Onnacentric’.
Enang said, “The governor had formally made a request that the university be sited in Onna. I consider this as improper, imprudent and he is not acting as governor of Akwa Ibom state. If everything that comes to Akwa Ibom has to go to Onna, the governnor is acting in a manner that he could be described as Udomcentric, Onnacentric, IMM (I, Me and Myself) and self centric.
“Governor Udom Emmanuel was chosen to be the Governnor of Akwa Ibom State and not the chairman of Onna LGA or councillor representing his ward in Onna.”
The presidential aide said the governor should note that as a trustee of the people he would be held to account for his inactions when he left office.
He said “Every person who is in a position of responsibility should know that he is in that position as a trustee of the people and there is a terminal date. If you don’t face the consequences of your actions while in office, you will face it after.”
While thanking the President, Major General Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), for choosing Akwa Ibom State for the location of the university, Enang called on tradional rulers, leaders of the state and politicians across political divide to encourage Emmanuel to support the location of the university in Ikot Abasi, not Onna.
Reacting, the state commissioner of Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, described Enang as greedy and myopic, adding that he was seeing the governor from his own spectacle.
He said the Presidential aide was the same person who wanted development to be taken to his town Ndidep, in Ibiono LGA, but accusing others.
“This is the same person attaract everything for Ndidep, not Ibiono, not Uyo. He is suffering from supersonic greed.
“When he is talking about Calabar-Itu road, he is talking of the spur to Nidedep, because he is from Ndidep. He is suffering from the mirror syndrome; when he is looking at the mirror he thinks he is seeing Governor Emmanuel but he is seeing himself,” the commissioner said. Punch
