Group Warns Akpabio Over Attah

The recent public condemnation and character assassination of the former State Governor, Obong Victor Attah by incumbent Gov. Godswill Akpabio has been condemned by a cross section of Akwa Ibom indigenes. The last straw that broke the camel's back among the numerous public condemnation of Obong Attah by his successor, Chief Akpabio according to Concerned Citizens for Better Akwa Ibom State, CCBAK, came during the burial of the late PDP Chairman, Chief Tony Emenyi recently at Oron.

The Governor, without taking anything into consideration at Oron blasted Obong Attah for staying back from Chief Tony Emenyi's burial, saying that that was the same thing he did when Late Joe Atting, Late Okuibom II, Usonyin Okon Ekpo Ekpo and the first civilian governor of the state, Obong Akpan Isemin were buried. According to the group, the State Governor went ahead to state that it is in Obong Attah's character to reject those that helped him in life to become what he is today. The state governor who is said to have used the funeral ground to campaign for his continuity and to appease the Oro people, also stole the opportunity “to continue with his campaign of calumny on Obong Attah and Senator J. J. Akpanudoedeghe”.

The governor reportedly expressed displeasure why Chief Joe Ating, the pioneer state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party was not given state burial, adding that if he was to die during “my tenure as the governor, he would have been given a state burial”. Chief Akpabio said that he led all the paraphernalia of his office to attend the Late Tony Emenyi's burial since he did not want to behave like the former governor who could not attend Joe Ating's burial and called on the Oro nation not to allow those who have lost their political relevance even in their wards to play on their psyche with empty rhetoric

But in a swift reaction, the group of politicians, Concerned Citizens for Better Akwa Ibom (CCBAK) described Gov. Akpabio as “a man who lacks rhetoric and diplomacy in his approach to people outside his camp as seen in his open attack on his perceived opponents anywhere, anytime”. Had the governor known or acknowledged that his former boss paid condolence visit to the family of the late politician and exchanged gifts, paid for public announcements of the late politician in several media, sponsored trips to the burial for party members, the group in a release, signed by her president and secretary, Comrades Itohoimo Uke and Imo-owo Enang and made available to Global Concord, said the “reckless outburst which was meant to cast slur on the integrity of the leading Architect in Nigeria, Obong Attah would have been spared”.

The group in the statement called for restraints on what it called verbal missiles on the person of the Ex Governor by Governor Akpabio. The group called for a resolution of the political impasse which has set the two politicians collision.
The group, however, advised Akwa Ibom people to discountenance the unguided utterances which it said has brought Governor Akpabio and Obong Attah to disrepute.