Verify Information Before Speaking — Ex-Minister Cautions Senate President
An elder statesman and former Minister of Lands Housing and Urban Development, Nduese Essien, has told the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to refrain from uttering unverified remarks on national issues, as it was becoming unbecoming.
Eket, in a open letter to Akpabio, entitled: ‘My Dear Senate President, Modesty Is a Virtue to Embrace,’ said the rebuttal by Governor Seyi Makinde, against the claim that the Federal Government doled out N30 billion to state governors, to mitigate inflation and food prices in their states, was embarrassing.
He said as the third citizen of the country, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State should cross-check information before making it public in order not dent his reputation.
“In a televised plenary session last Tuesday, you told Nigerians that you had received an unverified report about the purported allocation of N30 billion to each governor of the Federation by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to mitigate inflation and food prices in their states.
“Before making such a public statement, you as the leader of the Nigerian legislature and one of the highest-ranking officials in the current administration should have thoroughly verified such a claim.
“The subsequent rebuttal of this claim by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the loud silence from All Progressives Congress (APC) governors suggest you did not double-check the information before giving it the public.”
“This serious error, along with previous blunders, harms your leadership reputation.
“I urge you to stop making hasty and unfounded claims that could inflame tensions or damage the government and the institution you represent. It is important to apply caution when we speak as leaders,” he advised.
Also, he accused the Akpabio of marginalising the people of Oron when he was a governor especially the relocation of Mobil Producing Nigeria now ExxonMobil that was supposed to be located in Oron but was taken to Eket.
Not only that, he claimed that Akpabio had the opportunity of picking an Oron person for governor, but did not.
He declared that the ignoble decisions of Akpabio still hurt the people of Oron and declared that the embittered people would make it difficult for him to install his candidate in the 2027 governorship contest.
He said: “As Governor for eight years, it was surprising that you made no effort to change the wrong political judgement and never compensated the Oron people for the perceived unfair treatment.
‘Again, in 2014 when you had unfettered political authority to pick and install an Oron man as governor, you never did so. Why are you inciting divisive sentiments among our people in a peaceful state to destabilize it now?
“In your quest to take over Akwa Ibom in 2027, these unamusing pranks will not be compelling enough to attract support. Oron is populated by intelligent and politically savvy people.
“The 2027 Akwa Ibom governorship election will be more complex than the “Warsaw War” of 2019, which you lost.
“I, therefore, advise you to apply a little caution; concentrate more on national politics to assist in rescuing the nation from its self -imposed predicaments.”
