Akwa Ibom Governor Reacts as Commissioners Abandon Him at Event, Video Trends

• Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno has warned that any of his commissioners or cabinet members who leave him after a public engagement will be sacked with immediate effect
• The governor decried situations where, at the end of an event, the commissioners and aides are nowhere to be found
• Eno explained that his cabinet members are to get him back to the office or lodge after public engagement, and that their job is a full-time, 24/7 job

Uyo, Akwa Ibom - Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has warned his cabinet members against abandoning him at public functions, adding that any cabinet member caught in the act will be sacked with immediate effect.

In a trending video, the governor warned that he would sack any cabinet member he could not find behind him anytime he was outside, adding that his simplicity should not be misinterpreted as weakness.

Why Umo Eno warned commissioners in public

The governor added that he was issuing the warning to the commissioners and aides because when people hear that the commissioners from their local government have been fired, they should know that it was because of insubordination.

He noted that it was wrong for him, as the governor, to be left at an event while the commissioners and aides were nowhere to be found. According to him, the commissioners and aides are his "first 11", and their job is a full-time, 24/7 one.

Eno emphasised the importance of loyalty, protocol and presence, adding that every cabinet member must be committed to their office responsibilities. He stressed that he did not announce his movement and that it is mandated on his commissioners to see him return to his office of lodge.

Eno sent a message to cabinet members

He further stressed that he can stop anywhere, and if there is an issue, the commissioner in charge of the issue raised must be ready to attend to him. He expressed concerns about a recent development, alleging that some appointees routinely disappear as soon as official engagement ends, stating that such practice must stop with immediate effect.

The governor decried a situation where he would go to a place and leave, then the commissioners would take off to where he did not know. He added that if any commissioner is doing his or her thing, such a commissioner is not ready to be in office.

Governor Eno recalled that he was once and commissioner and he never left his governor behind during his time. He then called for the same commitment from members of his cabinet.

See the video of the moment here:

Incident may have political undertone

While it's not clear why the commissioners left the governor at the public function, the development may have some political undertone. Governor Eno is one of the PDP governors who may defect to the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 elections. He also recently declared support for the re-election of the APC's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

“Let me end by assuring our people-loving President that we will stand by him. He deserves to complete his eight years in office. He cannot start this work and abandon it. Someone else may not finish it with the same passion," Governor Eno said at the official flag-off of the 65-kilometre, three-lane dual carriageway section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Nsit-Antai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state.

It's not clear if all members of his cabinet align with his political moves.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng recalls that Governor Eno had earlier, on Friday, January 10, dissolved the state executive council, which comprised mostly appointees inherited from his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel.

He said, though the commissioners performed excellently in their respective offices, his administration needed fresh professionals on board.

The sacked commissioners were members of former Governor Emmanuel's cabinet but were retained by Eno to stabilise his administration at the time he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

Governor Eno speaks on dumping PDP for APC

Legit.ng earlier reported that Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno has reacted to reports of dumping the PDP and defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking at a church in Lagos state, Governor Eno denied imminent defection but maintained that his service to the people was his priority.

Eno referenced wisdom from the sons of Issachar in the Bible and encouraged the people to understand political times and seasons wisely.

Legit.ng's head of politics and current affairs desk, Nurudeen Lawal, contributed political contexts to this report.

Source: Legit.ng