A former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban development, Chief Nduese Essien has advised the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio to speak less, listen to his colleagues more and monitor the national mood before wielding the gavel.
Essien gave the advice in an open letter to Akpabio titled: “My dear senate president, “Modesty is a virtue to embrace “,which was made available to newsmen on Monday in Uyo.
He was reacting to statements credited to Akpabio, particularly the purported allocation of N30billion to the 36 governor to mitigate inflation and food prices as well as a video circulating in Akwa Ibom state where he allegedly told Oron leaders that ExxonMobil was supposed to locate its office in Oron, but due to politics it was taken to Eket LGA.
His words: “I hope this letter finds you well, despite the passage of time since we last communicated directly. It is with a heavy heart that I take this public platform to address you, given our longstanding relationship and the mutual respect we have shared.
“Over the past three years, attempts to reach out to you have been met with silence, prompting me to resort to this open correspondence. It is crucial that I express my concerns openly, not only for your sake, but also for the sake of our friends, and constituents who may witness this exchange.
“As you lead the National Assembly, I urge you to heed the lessons of history and prioritize the interests of the people above all else. Uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and justice, and ensure that the legislature functions as a true bastion of democracy.
” To accomplish the foregoing, you must speak less, listen to your colleagues more, and monitor the national mood before wielding the gavel. By doing so, you will lead the National Assembly in collaborating with the Executive and the Judiciary to create a better future for our dear country.
“In a televised plenary session last Tuesday, you told Nigerians that you had received an unverified report about the purported allocation of N30 billion to each governor of the Federation by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to mitigate inflation and food prices in their states.
“Before making such a public statement, you as the leader of the Nigerian legislature and one of the highest-ranking officials in the current administration should have thoroughly verified such a claim.”
The elder statesman regretted that subsequent rebuttal of Akpabio’s claim by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the loud silence from All Progressives Congress (APC) governors suggested he did not double-check the information before making such public statement.
He stressed that the serious error by Akpabio, along with previous blunders, harms his leadership reputation, urging him to stop making hasty and unfounded claims that could inflame tensions or damage the government and the institution he represents.
“It is important to apply caution when we speak as leaders. Sir, I am compelled by a sense of duty to address the inconsistencies that have come to characterise your political expressions, particularly within our beloved Akwa Ibom State.
“Your Excellency, during the 36th Anniversary Thanksgiving service of our state creation at the Apostolic Church in Uyo in 2023, you declared, “all local government areas in the state as oil producing, and that there should be no distinction among them in terms of sharing of resources or benefits.
“I was shocked because throughout your eight years as Governor of the state, you never said so though you were blatant in depriving the oil producing areas of their rights.
“Your Excellency, there is a disturbing video currently circulating in the state where you told Oron leaders that Mobil Producing Nigeria now ExxonMobil was supposed to locate its office in Oron but was taken to Eket because of politics. To the best of my knowledge, you were about five years old when the decision was taken.
“Agreed, there were alternative locations for the company to choose from. But investment decisions for a renowned multinational corporation like Mobil, are not taken on the spur of the moment or weighted in favour of political considerations as is done in Government House.
” As Governor for eight years, it was surprising that you made no effort to change the wrong political judgement and never compensated the Oron people for the perceived unfair treatment. Again, in 2014 when you had unfettered political authority to pick and install an Oron man as governor, you never did so.
“Why are you inciting divisive sentiments among our people in a peaceful state to destabilize it now? In your quest to take over Akwa Ibom in 2027, these unamusing pranks will not be compelling enough to attract support. Oron is populated by intelligent and politically savvy people.
“The 2027 Akwa Ibom governorship election will be more complex than the “Warsaw War” of 2019, which you lost. I, therefore, advise you to apply a little caution; concentrate more on national politics to assist in rescuing the nation from its self -imposed predicaments.” Essien asserted.
