Security operatives seal off A'Ibom SSG's office

Security personnel on Monday sealed off the office of the Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr. Umana Umana, in a move which suggested that his time in the Governor Godswilll Akpabio administration was up.

A source in the Akwa Ibom Government House in Uyo confided in our correspondent that Umana had been given a 24-hour ultimatum to resign his appointment or to be fired.

The source said, "The SSG has been removed. The governor has given him 24 hours to resign or face sacking.

"You can see the heavy presence of security personnel around the Government House. The SSG office has been sealed off. You can see that none of you were allowed to go in."

A source in the office of the SSG confided in our correspondent that the Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Cecilia Udoessien, arrived at the office of the Permanent Secretary to the SSG at about 7am and handed the PS a redeployment letter to another ministry.

"After Udoessien personally locked the permanent secretary's office, she moved ahead to drive away all employees, who had resumed at the SSG's office," the source said.

Government sources in Uyo said the decision to remove the SSG had to do with his declared interest to contest the governorship election in the state in 2015.

Akpabio was also said to have been irked by Umana's refusal to accept to serve as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission. He was quoted as saying that accepting the leadership of the NDDC would hinder his governorship ambition.

At the town hall meeting held after the inauguration of the Eket-Ibeno Road last week, the governor reportedly told the people that he had heard that someone was going around to declare his interest in the governorship position in 2015 and that the person was doing so without his (Akpabio's) knowledge and approval.

The governor also repeated same at the Peoples Democratic Party Stakeholders meeting in Uyo same last week.

Umana had reportedly told journalists in Uyo that "I have decided to make public my intention to run for the office of governor of Akwa Ibom State in response to the overwhelming pressure from the good people of the three senatorial districts of the state for me to declare my interest in the race. I wish to assure our people that I will run for the office of governor."

Attempts to reach the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umana, and the Chief Press Secretary to Akpabio, Mr. Anietie Ukpe, were unsuccessful as calls to their phones were not answered. Also, they did not respond to SMS sent to them on the issue.

But an aide to the SSG, Mr. Oliver Udokpo, said Umana had travelled to Abuja a week ago.

"We have to confirm from the Commissioner for Information and Communications if such a thing had happened. If there was such a thing, it is the press secretary that would have issued a statement to that effect," Udokpo said.

Punch