Angry governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has read the riot act to political appointees, including all commissioners, the economic adviser, and the political adviser to the governor.
Others included all chairmen/members of boards and commissions, all honourary special advisers and all senior special assistants (SSAs), special assistants (SAs) and personal assistants (PAs).
In the executive order (EO) to this effect by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Prince Enobong Uwah, on behalf of his boss, the governor frowned at the non – challant attitude and outright dissonance to government affairs by the appointees, which some of them who confided in our correspondent blamed on what they described as “The prevailing hardship in the land and government’s refusal to oil the system with cash.”
“The government’s engine is oiled by the administration anywhere in the world. But a situation whereby the system refuses to allow cash to flow and engineer the same system, you see public service apathy,” one of the commissioners hinted on condition of anonymity.
“We are suffering here as public servants because of too much financial bureaucracy to the extent that we can’t run our ministries, agencies and departments (MDAs) because of lack of cash for diesel.
“And you begin to wonder where the state’s share of the improved allocations to states after the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government are being diverted to,” another appointee queried.
But the governor has threatened to wield the big stick against any appointee exhibiting open dissonance to the administration’s quest towards achieving its policies and programmes as encapsulated under the ‘ARISE Agenda’ blueprint.
The governor’s EO, issued by the SSG demanding an immediate response from the affected appointees, entitled; ‘Mandatory Attendance At Governor’s Appointments and Official Functions’, reads:
“His excellency, the governor, has observed, that some government appointees are in the habit of not attending governor’s appointments without prior notice or permission. The practice is inappropriate with the team spirit encapsulated in the ‘ARISE Agenda’.
“To avoid doubt, it should be noted that attendance at governor’s appointments and official functions is mandatory for all government political appointees.
“Arising from the above observation, and in line with his excellency, the governor’s directive, political government appointees are expected to show their unalloyed support to His Excellency, the governor, by attending all governor’s appointments and official functions. Strict compliance to this notice is expected from everyone concerned.”
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