Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has read the riot act to his cabinet members, declaring that any commissioner who abandons him at public events risks immediate dismissal.
Speaking in Uyo on Friday, the governor expressed frustration over a recent incident where some of his commissioners reportedly left him behind during an official function.
“Starting today, I’d like everyone to hear, because when they hear that I’ve fired the commissioner in your local government, it’s insubordination.
“It is wrong for the governor to go on an appointment if nobody else follows him,” Eno said
Describing his commissioners and special advisers as his “first 11,” Eno stressed the need for loyalty, presence, and protocol, insisting that his team must show full commitment to their duties.
“I do not announce where I will go. It is mandatory for my commissioners to ensure that they take me either back to the office or to the lodge,” he added.
“And if I stop by anywhere, there can be issues that will be raised. So the commissioner in charge of that will attend to me.”
Eno, who had served as a commissioner, recalled his own commitment to his governor, insisting that the same standard should apply to his current team.
“I was a commissioner myself. I had never left my governor behind. Today is the last day I make this statement, and I’m doing it publicly,” he declared.
“Anytime I leave an event, I stop by anywhere, let the commissioner pray that I don’t look for that commissioner. If I look for that commissioner, the commissioner is not there, the commissioner will lose his or her job right there and then.”
Eno also cautioned his appointees against mistaking his simplicity for weakness, reminding them that his mandate came from the overwhelming support of Akwa Ibom voters.
“This has to stop. We are running a government. And the fact that I’m simple doesn’t mean that I’m an appointed governor,” Eno said.
“I’m an elected governor with overwhelming votes of the Akwa Ibom people. And if we are not ready to work for the people, then we should stay at home. That’s a clear warning.”
Eno’s tough stance comes months after he dissolved the state executive council on January 10, which included appointees inherited from his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel.
