Wednesday August 6, 2025
By The NewsDESK |
The Akwa Ibom State Government has debunked as false the claim that Governor Umo Eno is leading a 100-person delegation to the 2025 AKISAN Convention in Washington, D.C., stating categorically that the Governor will not be attending the event in person.
This clarification was contained in an official press release issued by the State Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, in response to a video circulated online, in which Prof. Offiong Akwa made several unfounded and disparaging remarks against the Governor and the State Government. The Government described the video as “a distasteful diatribe,” laced with name-calling, wild allegations, and outright misinformation.
“Ordinarily, we would not have dignified his remarks with a response,” the statement read. “However, Prof. Offiong Akwa has once again chosen to peddle deliberate falsehoods in a calculated attempt to mislead the public and undermine the integrity of the Akwa Ibom State Government.”
According to the Commissioner, Governor Umo Eno, due to pressing official engagements, will not be attending the AKISAN Convention personally. Instead, he has nominated a lean five person delegation to represent the State, reflecting the administration’s commitment to prudence, responsibility, and focused governance.
The statement further commended AKISAN (Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria, USA Inc.) for its ongoing efforts in fostering unity among Akwa Ibom indigenes in the diaspora and its notable contributions in education and healthcare through scholarships and medical outreach. Governor Eno, it noted, has consistently expressed his preference for future AKISAN conventions to be hosted in Uyo to foster cultural exchange, backward integration, and stimulate the local economy.
Prof. Akwa’s reference to a so-called “Wellness Health Insurance Partnership Organisation” was dismissed as fictitious and completely unconnected to the Akwa Ibom State Government. The Government reaffirmed that the State’s only official and operational scheme is the ARISE Health Insurance Scheme, which has enrolled over 122,000 beneficiaries in under one year and continues to expand access to quality healthcare.
On the Ibom Specialty Hospital, the Commissioner reiterated the Government’s commitment to repositioning the facility for specialised services. “There is no plan to abandon the hospital,” the statement clarified. “Rather, revitalisation efforts are actively underway to enhance its service delivery.”
In response to claims that the State lacks a clear development roadmap, the Government highlighted the structured and ongoing implementation of the ARISE Agenda, anchored on five core pillars and 17 focal areas. These include agriculture, education, healthcare, rural development, infrastructure, and economic empowerment. Projects such as the ARISE Resort (on 70 hectares of reclaimed gully land), the 5,000 -capacity Convention Centre, and the 200-bed Ibom Hotel as well as the 60 new projects were cited as visible evidence of sustainable development efforts.
“It is deeply ironic,” the statement concluded, “that someone who once benefitted from State contracts now finds gratification in maligning successive administrations. His remarks reflect opportunism, bitterness, and a complete lack of constructive engagement.”
The public is therefore urged to disregard Prof. Akwa’s misleading claims, as the Governor Umo Eno-led administration remains firmly focused on data-driven, people-centered, and development-oriented governance.
