Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno has warned Chairmanship and Councillorship aspirants for the next local government election against wasting their money in consultations.
Addressing outgoing local government Chairmen in Uyo over the weekend, Governor Eno noted that it was too early to engage in consultations.
He also warned the council chairmen to ensure they put modalities in place to maintain peace in their respective domains saying as any local government area that compromised the existing peace in the State the Council Chairman would be held responsible.
He expressed concern that security reports have revealed that some Council Chairmen were sponsoring the agitation over the state’s Map law, and appealed to the people to remain peaceful as the matter was still pending in Court.
“Let me inform you that some people have started consultations for Chairmanship and Councilorship positions, please don’t spend your money. I will not compensate anybody or association for engaging in consultation for such positions.
“Please I have not sent you to waste your money on consultations. Wait untill we blow the whistle for Local Government elections. We are trying to ensure that Government takes shape and we are doing the best we can.
Gov. Eno
“Please note, if zoning does not favour you, don’t even worry yourself because no amount of pressure can make me go against the party zoning arrangements. It is also a privilege to meet all the Local Government Chairmen here.
“We are planning to have a meeting with you. Soon, you will hear from me. We need to talk. We need to discuss, actually about keeping your Local Governments safe and secured.
“We need to work together and extra hard to ensure that we stay in peace. And let me use this occasion to plead with all the Chairmen, please hold down your Local Government Areas. We don’t want to have issues anywhere.
“There has been so much tension about mapping or remapping. I have said on many occasions, I know that some LG have gone to court. Naturally, when a case is in court you rest and maintain peace until it is determined. Nobody is coming to take your land or anything.
“We’ll wait for all the fireworks to be done in court. So, there is no need whatsoever for anyone to encourage crisis. We have security reports that some Local Government Chairmen are encouraging and trying to hide behind and sponsor agitations.
“Once that happens we will invoke the full weight of the law on the culprits. This is not a threat. As a Chairman of the Local Government, we will hold you responsible for any breakdown of law and order in your domain. Let peace reign”
Governor Eno reassured that his administration would deliver democratic dividends to the rural communities, adding that there was need for everyone to show they could live beyond their barriers and biases as well as above ethnicity.
He noted that a time comes when people must come together and seek peace and growth of their land, stressing, ” So coming together like this avails us the opportunity to come together, rejoice together, talk to each other about things that will bring development to our state.
“We have made up our minds- myself, my Deputy and the Speaker to work very closely together with each other, and to ensure that we deliver dividends of democracy to our people. It doesn’t matter where the people stand. What we are interested in is our people receiving dividends of democracy especially in the rural areas.
