Tuesday June 3, 2025|
The Akwa Ibom governor, Pastor Umo Eno has charged the people of the State to continuously work in peace, love, unity and respect for one another, saying that political parties should be seen as platforms for election, after which comes governance.
Pastor Eno, who gave the charge, recently, during his 2nd Year Anniversary State Banquet, at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo, attributed his success in leadership to the grace and faithfulness of God and the cooperation of the people.
“Whatever we have been able to achieve is because of the grace and faithfulness of God, and it is because of the cooperation of our people”, Eno said, noting that the inherent peace and unity experienced in Akwa Ibom has been his greatest achievement in the last two years of his administration.
His words: “For me, the greatest achievement is not in all those things you saw in the documentary, the greatest achievement is the peace that God has brought into this State. That is my greatest achievement.
“Like His Excellency, Otuekong Don Etiebet said, we know how this State used to be. It would be difficult for all of us to gather in this room because of political affiliations.
“Someone would die in a family and you cannot attend the burial openly so that they don’t think you are doing anti-party. We were made to think that wisdom resides in one political party. I want you all to understand that wisdom resides in all of us as Akwa Ibom people, not political party.
“I thank God today that we can stay in one roof, we can discuss together, we can all contribute to governance, we can reach out to our brother and see political party only as a vehicle for election. And whoever God brings, he becomes the governor for all, and bring people together.
“Let’s continue to push, we must live for each other, learn to extend hands of fellowship to people. That is the truth, we cannot continue to do winner takes it all. We need to bring people and learn how to work with the people.”
Governor Eno expressed appreciation to his political godfather and predecessor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, for his vision, pursuit, resilience, and support that brought him to power, as well as all the past governors for their respective contributions to the development of the State.
An elder statesman and one time minister of Petroleum, Otuekong Don Etiebet, described Governor Eno as a phenomenon, a spiritually-filled and an enigmatic leader, sent by God to serve the State in the current critical time.
Etiebet appreciated Eno for his godly leadership role of reuniting the ethnic, social and political fragments of the State which has brought an end to the era of political kidnappings and killings, noting that as a compassionate leader, Eno has won the hearts of Akwa Ibom people given his pragmatic approach to governance in the State.
Speaking separately at the event, the Senator representing Eket Senatorial District, Senator Ekong Sampson; political leader for Uyo Senatorial District, Senator Effiong Bob; former deputy governor, Obong Nsima Ekere, and the State chairmen of the PDP, APC and chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, congratulated Governor Eno on a successful two years of impactful leadership which has motivated his endorsement for a second term by all the political parties in the State.
