Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has declared that he will not hand over the state’s treasury to what he described as “desperate politicians” ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that Akwa Ibom cannot be entrusted to recycled leaders with no proven record of public service.
The governor made the remarks at a media chat marking his third anniversary in office at the Government House Banquet Hall in Uyo, where he also defended his administration’s performance and responded to criticism of his leadership.
Eno said governance should not be judged lightly from outside, adding that only those in office fully understand its complexity.
“If you think governance is easy to attack or criticize from outside, wait until you get to this other side,” he said, comparing political criticism to football commentary, where spectators often suggest better tactics without playing.
He challenged his critics—particularly what he called recycled politicians to account for their past records in public office.
“For those who had never held any political leadership before, I can excuse them, but I ask those recycled politicians who had held political positions before, show me what you did?” he said.
The governor urged voters to assess candidates based on performance rather than political ambition, warning against what he described as attempts to gain power for personal enrichment.
“This is election time and campaigns will soon start, I am ready to engage them. Let those recycled politicians tell me what they had done before while holding various positions in government,” he added.
Eno alleged that some of his opponents lacked even basic personal assets, claiming they were still living in rented accommodation while seeking to control state resources.
He also accused political opponents of attempting to destabilise his administration due to ongoing anti-corruption reforms, including efforts to tackle ghost workers in the civil service.
“Only God knows how long this fraud had continued before now,” he said, referencing alleged ghost workers discovered under his administration.
The governor further claimed that reforms in revenue generation had been resisted by vested interests, adding that such resistance had fuelled ethnic sentiments against his administration.
He dismissed accusations of ethnic bias in governance, insisting his actions were guided by the need to protect public resources.
On infrastructure, Eno warned that he would terminate the Tabernacle Road project if progress was not improved, despite stating that payment had already been made to the contractor.
He also threatened to revoke the Enen Nsit road project if it failed to meet expectations, stressing the importance of access to his home community.
“I can’t serve the people throughout my tenure, and after my retirement there’s no road to my home,” he said.
On state assets, the governor disclosed that his administration had recapitalised the state-owned Anchor Insurance company with several billions of naira to prevent its collapse.
He also highlighted ongoing projects in roads, healthcare, education, youth empowerment, and women development, saying they would define his legacy in office as his administration progresses toward the end of its tenure.
