Ibom power: Sacked MD crossed red line – Gov Eno breaks silence

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has spoken, one month after the unceremonious sack of the former Managing Director of the state-owned power company, Ibom Power Company, Engr Meyen Etukudoh.

The governor, who has remained mute amid the backlash from citizens over the sack of the former MD had on Tuesday at the Day-2 of the ongoing Inter Ministerial Briefings/End of Year Review in Uyo, said the step was necessary to restore sanity and development in the power sector.

Recall that the embattled MD following a four-day power outage in the state announced in a press statement that the blackout was as a result of the failure of Acugas, (the gas supplier) to supply gas to the plant with the claims that the state was owing it.

Few hours later, another statement emanated from the Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah, announcing the immediate sack of the Ibom Power MD without stating any reason.

However, it was public knowledge that Etukudoh’s predicament was highly connected to the press statement which was assumed to ridicule the state government.

To validate the speculations of the people, governor Eno speaking at the banquet hall said public servants have no right to issue a press statement without getting clearance from the right authority.

He wondered why the embattled MD failed to deploy diplomacy in dealing with Acugas considering the fact that the state owed the company N40 billion, rather he chose the pact of issuing unauthorized press statements alleging Acugas abruptly cut off gas supply.

Eno, who described the statement as inciting, said if Akwa Ibom youths were irrational and unreasonable they could have burnt down Acugas facility without knowing the crux of the matter and lauded the youths for their peaceful disposition.

The governor also announced the convocation of a power summit in the state between January to March 2025 where critical stakeholders and professionals in the energy sector would come together to produce a Power Master Plan that will serve as a catalyst for industrial growth and development of the state.

He said 24 hours power supply in the state is achievable and gave the Commissioner for Power, Engr Camillus Umoh a matching order to ensure its realization.

His words, “There are things I don’t want to say here because I don’t want to be misquoted but I can tell you as a sitting governor for 18 months, the only time I got a brief from Ibom power was when the Honourable Commissioner for power took over the place (Ibom Power). Such a critical asset?

“Even though I visited the place, nobody made any effort to reach out to me.

“So when we took decisions we took and people complained, in any case it is a government appointed job and you can’t be there forever, there are other people that will come and go.

“I have a tenured job and the day my tenure ends, I’m gone. The pressure that was mounted was not necessary and as public servants, we all know that you can’t issue a press statement without clearance from the right authority.

“Sometimes people abuse simplicity. They believe that the governor is very simple, he can sit on the floor and play with everybody then we take advantage of that and cross the line.

“But as I said, the issue is that we are going to set up a power infrastructure committee to work with the honourable commissioner and other power stakeholders to hold a power summit and tell us the way forward and this must happen between January and March, it is an emergency.

“We are owing the gas company N40 billion, that is 7.9 million dollars you are owing them and you come out to make a press statement that they have cut off power.

“Assuming we have youths that are irrational, that company would have been burnt down by now.

“You are owning somebody and still shouting, the right thing to do would have been to beg.

“The greatest pain of this was an MD going on leave and handing over everything to a contractor and even putting it in writing for him to be in charge of the plant.

“I don’t know where that is done. It’s just like handing over your vehicle to a mechanic and saying ‘if it has a problem let me know’, definitely that vehicle must develop a problem because the mechanic must eat.”