Gov Eno summons cabinet members, others to ‘urgent’ meeting

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has summoned his commissioners, political adviser, economic adviser, and all his other political appointees to an urgent meeting.

The Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Enobong Uwah, in a circular dated 15 November, said the meeting will take place this Tuesday, 19 November, by 6 p.m. at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Uyo.

“The Governor has directed the Secretary to the State Government to convene an urgent meeting of all political appointees under the present administration,” Mr Uwah said in the circular.

Mr Uwah stated that all commissioners and special advisers, the governor’s political and economic advisers, chairpersons and members of government boards, commissions, and agencies are invited to the meeting.

Others are honourary special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants, and personal assistants.

A source at Government House Uyo told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Eno will preside over the meeting.

This is the first time the governor would be calling a meeting of all his political appointees.

The meeting agenda is unclear for now, but it appears Governor Eno may talk to his appointees about his expectations of them and his disappointments with some of them so far and then set some new ground rules.

Mr Eno recently sacked the managing director of the Akwa Ibom State-owned Ibom Power Company Ltd, Meyen Etukudo, after a prolonged power outage in the state known for its stable power supply.

In an opinion piece on Mr Etukudo’s sacking, a writer and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom, Etim Etim, quoted an unnamed government source as saying that Mr Eno’s administration was embarrassed by “Etukudo’s habit of giving frequent press interviews and issuing press statements as well as his frequent foreign trips without approval from the governor.”

“On each occasion, he travelled out, he would hand over the Company to a contractor who repairs the plant, sidestepping his executives.

“Early this year, Etukudo gave an interview accusing the state government of giving more money to Ibom Air while neglecting Ibom Power and boasted that if he had such support from the government, he would turn around Ibom Power,” Mr Etim stated in the article.