A’Ibom APC to Emmanuel: Stop’insulting’ our leaders

Bassey Anthony, Uyo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom has warned Governor Udom Emmanuel to stop insulting its leaders for providing objective criticisms and commenting on matters concerning the state.

Acting State Chairman of the party, Dr. Ita Enang in a press conference in Uyo on Tuesday condemned Governor Emmanuel over his verbal attack on the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang during his recent media interaction.

The party threatened to withdraw all courtesies and respect due to Governor Emmanuel if he continued denigrating and threatening its leaders for expressing their opinion about the running of the state.

“If the governor does not desist from insulting APC leaders, we shall resort to holding him in contempt and withdrawing whatever courtesies are due him whenever we have reasons to address him,” Udosen said.

He said the insults and abuses meted out by the governor on Senator Ita Enang for expressing his views on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report which rated Akwa Ibom second on the unemployment index in country was quite unfortunate.

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“You will recall that in his media chat about two weeks ago, Governor Udom Emmanuel made denigrating statements against Senator Ita Enang simply because the Distinguished Senator had also expressed his personal opinion on the NBS report.

“Like many other indigenes of the state who are equally worried by the NBS report, Senator Ita Enang in his private capacity had expressed concern over the high unemployment problems in Akwa Ibom state. He said he was embarrassed as an indigene considering the monthly revenue earned by the state.

“The Senator further called on parents to desist from buying internet subscriptions (data) to their graduate children to sing the governor’s praises on social media. As a party, we wish to emphasize that Senator Ita Enang’s assertion in that regard is faultless and we stand by everything he said,” Udosen said.

The party’s acting chairman asked Emmanuel to account for over N1.6 trillion he has collected since the inception of his administration, adding that there was no reason for the state to have 46 percent unemployment rate “in the midst of the huge oil and gas revenue earned from the federal government”.