Akpabio Led Akwa Ibom People Out Of Egypt To River Jordan, But I’ll Take Them To The Promised Land – Gov. Emmanuel

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has showered encomiums on his predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, saying the former governor took the people out of Egypt to the River Jordan, he was going to take them to the Promised Land.

He also rejected the notion that his administration is tied to Akpabio’s apron strings.

Governor Emmanuel, who spoke on Sunday in a radio broadcast to the people of Akwa Ibom, said “Those who oppose my administration have claimed that we are an appendage of the last administration”.

“That is not true. We are an improvement on the last administration”, he added.

According to Mr. Emmanuel, the immediate past administration did a lot to increase the self-esteem of the people and return a sense of pride to Akwa Ibom in the eyes of Nigerians and the rest of the world.

“To be fair to the last administration, it initiated programs which increased our self-esteem as a people and earned us respect.

“We have leveraged on this and we have taken our people to new heights of superior performance”, he said.

Mr. Emmanuel, whose governorship election was cancelled in 18 out of the 31 local government areas in the state by the election tribunal, argued that no government was perfect, but said it was a sad commentary on Akwa Ibom politics that people who were a part of the Akpabio administration for seven of its eight years, would now turn around to demonise it.

He was making reference to the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the election, Mr. Umana O. Umana, who was Secretary to the Akwa Ibom Government for nearly eight years under Akpabio.

“They claim that the administration was wasteful, irresponsible, corrupt etc. and this sounds like cutting your nose in order to spite your face”, Mr. Emmanuel said.

The radio broadcast was in commemoration of Mr. Emmanuel’s six months in office as the governor of Akwa Ibom State.