The allegation of marginalisation against Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom, by the Oro Think Tank is unfair and has no basis in objectivity, the state branch of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, has said.
In a release signed by Franklyn Isong, its chairman, the CLO said the statement signed by Chris Abasi Eyo, a former commissioner for information, on the recent board appointments is not justified.
He said the governor was unfairly accused of marginalising Oron Federal Constituency in the composition of the board.
“We share and completely agree with the fact that one of the cardinal responsibilities of a socio-political group is to agitate and advocate for the interest of entity they speak for. However, while we are not holding brief for the government, we wish to disagree with the Oro Think Tank on the above issue”, he said.
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“As an international civil society organisation, which is a watchdog of the society, we would have long taken the governor to task if we had discovered any tinge of marginalisation but, the governor has been fair and balanced in the manner he has distributed political offices in the State.
“For instance, apart from the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, an accomplished Oro Nation professional whose office is the engine room of government, Oron federal constituency also has the Commissioners for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Orman Esin and his Transport counterpart, Hon. Uno Etim Uno as key members of the Udom Emmanuel’s cabinet”, Otuekong Isong noted.”
He argued that in fairness to the governor, among the board members from Oron federal constituency are: Ekpenyong Ntekim, chairman of the board of Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic; Peter Esuh, chairman of the Land Use and Allocation Committee; George Henshaw, who was chairman, Technical School board between 2016 and 2020, among several other apartments.
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“While we encourage the Oro Think Tank to fight for its interest, we advise them not to push this issue of marginalisation as we are convinced the Governor has been fair and transparent in his appointments across the tripod of ethnic interests that make up our dear state,” he said.
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