Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno
Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former interim National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Udoedehe, has criticized Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno over moves to cede the long-settled disputed oil to Cross River State.
Udoedehe, a former senator and a one-time Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said on a Facebook live programme that posterity would not forgive Governor Eno if he allowed the 76 oil wells to be taken away from Akwa Ibom state.
According to him, the essence of Eno defecting to the APC would have been that the federal government would not have set up any review committee over the oil wells without his knowledge, adding that moves to cede the oil wells to Cross River State, despite the huge financial resources at the disposal of the state government showed his weakness and lack of political reach.
He said past leaders, including governors, had worked hard to achieve resource control for the Niger Delta, adding that it would be regrettable for the oil wells to be taken away from the state under this tenure.
“If you allow these 76 oil wells to be taken away from us, against the efforts and sweat of those who are still living and those who are dead, to elude us to be taken away from us, I want to tell you that you will not be forgiven.
“Now under your watch, the issue of 76 oil wells has shown up again, and the main reason you are in APC today, if I may quote you correctly, you told the Akwa Ibom people the reason you went to APC was that you want to link Akwa Ibom to the centre.
“What that means is that you will not allow a committee set up by the federal government to reach a conclusion against you or the state because they would call you, and you have to know about it.
“Now you have allowed a committee that I would not say I am totally sure has been compromised by any standard to reach a conclusion against Akwa Ibom’s people.
“With so many resources at your disposal, with the political reach that you are supposed to have, it is not a matter of wearing the Arise cap, or singing on your mandate, we stand, it is about the political reach.
“If they had taken you seriously, they would not have reached that conclusion. If you allow it to happen, you will be seen as a weak and unprepared governor.
“I am advising you publicly, do everything within your powers, with your resources and political reach, not to allow what I am hearing to come to pass,” he stated.
