Mixed Reactions Trail Appointment Of Ex-Commissioners As Advisors In Akwa Ibom

Mixed reactions have trailed the appointment of former commissioners and members of the state executive council as delivery advisors by Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State.

The state government announced the appointment of the delivery advisors today, naming five former commissioners who were recently dropped from the state executive council as delivery advisors.

Those appointed as delivery advisors include Prof Augustine Umoh, a former Commissioner for Health now named as delivery advisor for the state specialist hospital and the General Hospital in Ikono.

According to Ekerette Udoh, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Umo Eno, other appointees include Charles Udoh, former commissioner for culture and tourism who has now been appointed Delivery Advisor on Tourism and then Ibom Icon Hotel, and Idongesit Etiebiet, former Commissioner for Education, who has been appointed Delivery Advisor for the construction of model primary schools in the state.

Also, Orman Esin, former Commissioner for Transport, is now the delivery advisor on transport, while Ini Adiakpan, former commissioner for women’s affairs, is now the delivery advisor on Nigeria for Women’s Project.

Reacting to the appointment, Ita Benedict, a public affairs expert, said delivery advisors should be “top professionals with a track record of excellence in project delivery.”

According to him, communication explaining the delivery advisor portfolio should tell us the project delivery history of these appointees.

“That’s just how to educate the public. Not going to Al to dig and dump on us what delivery advisor means,” he said.

Similarly, Assam Abia, a veteran journalist, described the delivery advisors as assistant commissioners, adding that it is a subtle “way of telling the world that the commissioners the governor recently appointed are not competent enough to deliver without supervision.

“Umo Eno is tactically strategizing for a second term when in reality he has no opposition.

“He should concentrate on planting mega projects that will immortalize him for generations to come.

“Humanitarian service for a few people has been his priority since assumption of office, which is not the priority of our economic necessity,” he said.

Reacting to the criticisms, the information commissioner said the delivery advisors “are seasoned professionals with deep institutional knowledge of the projects they assigned.

“They will provide tangential oversight on specific projects because they understand every aspect of each project, from initial conceptualization through to full implementation to ensure that the Governor’s numerous initiatives across the state are successfully executed.”

According to Umanah, who had spent eight years as a member of the state executive council previously and was once elected as a member of the House of Representatives, their “role is designed to complement the work of the commissioners, ensuring there is no conflict of interest.”

He maintained that Governor Umo Eno is fully committed to “leveraging this expertise to see projects through to a successful conclusion, reaffirming his dedication to delivering tangible results for the state and its citizens.”

Mixed Reactions Trail Appointment Of Ex-Commissioners As Advisors In Akwa Ibom is first published on The Whistler Newspaper