The Akwa Ibom State Government has described as unfortunate statements credited to Senator Aloysius Etok of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District that the state Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, was after his life.
The state government described the allegation as “spurious.”
A statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Aniekan Umanah, said the allegation was paranoid, deceitful, baseless and mere hallucinations that serves no purpose whatsoever.
Umanah said Akpabio has no problem with Etok and would not join issues with anyone on conjectures credited to the senator.
He said Akpabio worked hard alongside other people to ensure the emergence of Etok as senator.
Umanah said: “His Excellency, Governor Akpabio, is a God fearing and a peace loving man and has never and will never contemplate evil against anyone let alone his brother and friend, Senator Aloysius Etok.”
The statement described the allegation of mobilizing local government chairmen and members of the state House of Assembly against Etok as a figment of the imagination of the authors of such demented scripts.
Umanah said Akpabio was not in the country at the time the alleged actions were taken neither was he party to those as he was attending the Commonwealth Bar Association Conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
On the allegation of the governor resurrecting a hit squad to fight Etok, the commissioner said: “For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Akpabio has no hit squad and has never been after the life of any citizen of the state.”
He said instead of this, the governor engages the policy of inclusiveness to ensure citizens and stakeholders have a say in the affairs of the state.
Contrary to media reports on strained relationship between the governor and Etok, Umanah said the duo are enjoying very robust relationship and are constantly in touch with each other on matters of concern.
On the rumples over the 2015 senatorial election, Umanah said Akpabio has high regard for the Senate and indeed the National Assembly and has always shown it publicly.
He further stressed that Akpabio is an aspirant to the Senate in 2015 and therefore cannot disrespect the office of a senator.
On the alleged third term bid of Etok, the commissioner said Etok has every right as guaranteed by the constitution to seek re-election to the Senate in 2015 if he so wishes.
The state information boss cautioned those bent on tarnishing the hard earned image of the governor to desist from such acts and advised politicians from the state not to jump into the fray of the Nigerian Governors Forum politics, stressing that the NGF as a body will settle its issues.
Umanah assured the people of the state and Nigerians that Akpabio will not be pulled into the tides of distraction making the wave in political circles, but would rather concentrate on his Uncommon Transformation Programme, which has made Akwa Ibom State a reference point in the country’s development history.
I am not after Etok’s life – Akpabio
