March 21, (THEWILL) – Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, in a major cabinet shake up has relieved six commissioners, including his preferred successor and Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno.
The notice was contained in a letter from the governor to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, which contained names of replacement from their local government areas.
THEWILL recalls that Eno was publicly endorsed by the governor as his preferred aspirant for the 2023 Governoship race, at a stakeholder meeting held at Government House, Uyo on Sunday, January 30, 2022, which stirred a public outrage by some factions of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Also sacked by the governor is the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Glory Edet, who is nursing a political ambition to represent Ini/Ikono Federal Constituency at the National Assembly.
Dr Glory Edet, who had served since the administration of Godswill Akpabio, is currently the Dean of Commissioner, will be replaced with Offiong S. Offor from Ini local government like her.
Emmanuel on Friday submitted the names of five new commissioner nominees to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
List of Commissioner nominees received by the State House of Assembly from Governor Udom Emmanuel are;
Engr Cammillus Essien Imoh from Essien Udim, who will replace Prince Akpabio, Commissioner for Trade and Investment,
Prince, who hails from the Essien Udim is a cousin to former Governor of the state, Senator Godswill Akpabio and is reported to be eyeing the assembly seat for Essien Udim State constituency.
Dr Bassey Okon from Itu, he will replace Mr Akan Okon, former Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Sea, who resigned last week from the state executive council to pursue his governorship ambition.
Enefiok Isaac, a nominee from Ikot Ekpene, is to take the place of Pastor Sunny Ibout, who resigned last week to join the campaign organisation of Senator Bassey Albert Akpan,christened as Akwa ubok Abasi.
Iniobong Ekong from Nsit Ubium, is currently Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters and is expected to take the position of Pastor Umo Eno, who hails from the same clan.
Mr Bob Almond Emem from Onna, the governor’s home local government area is a replacement for Engr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen, a senatorial aspirant and immediate past Chief of State to Emmanuel, who was sacked by the governor for his political support to Senator Akpan gubernatorial ambition.
THEWILL reports that Pastor Umo Eno, who is yet to resign from the state executive council, had since stated pursuing his gubernatorial ambition.
