A'IBOM COMMISSIONER TACKLES ACN BOSS
The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Information, Aniekan Umanah has described the statement credited to one Dr. Amadu Attai, that the government of Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio is not developing the state as pure hallucination from a confused mind, noting that the governor's unrivalled human, physical and social development efforts have earned him recognition and awards even from the United States Congress.
Umanah, in a telephone chat stated that though the government should not have dignified the comment and Attai who claimed to be the chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state, with a response, it became imperative to correct the misinformation and series of lies which the ACN specialise in dishing out to the people about the state.
'I am sure that the people of the state would be surprised to read the lies which Dr. Attai, who at best could be called an impostor as the authentic chairman of the ACN in the state came out after the election to declare that Governor Akpabio won the mandate of the people as a result of his people-oriented projects. Therefore, Attai's comment is a height of hallucination from a confused man because he could not have been representing the people who boldly rejected his party at the April 2011 polls.'
He further berated Dr. Attai and his party, saying: 'By saying the state government is not undertaking projects that has direct impact on the electorate, he has only succeeded in showing to the world the great disconnect between his party and the people. Is he blind? This comment to me must have been made by a man who does not recognise the colour his mother's room is painted with, as no Akwa Ibom indigene will tow his line of opinion having witnessed unparralelled development and transformation under the government of Chief Akpabio.'
The commissioner pointed out that Akpabio's government has embarked on free education for primary and secondary schools, free health care for adults from 65 years, pregnant women and children aged 1-6, even as he noted that the government has also set aside a billion naira for the empowerment of the people through small and medium scale enterprises.
'Not long ago, the state banned commercial motorcyles and gave tricyles to thousands of people while it also earmarked money as a revolving loan. This government takes pride in not only the physical transformation of the state but also the human development and that is what the focus of this administration been hinged on, noting that due to the humanitarian services and great achievements that touched the people's lives positively, the governor has received various recognitions and awards, with the latest being the Congressional Award whicph was given to the governor by the United States Congress recently. 'If Dr. Attai and his group of blind and deaf opposition politicians have chosen to bury their heads and ears in the sand of lies, they should stop spreading lies and misinforming the people. If they want to be empowered, they should say it out,' Umanah averred.