Headline

Why Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele Must Resign

Published

2 years ago

May 8, 2022

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

There is a clarion call across the length and breadth of the political circle in Nigeria, asking for the immediate resignation of the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for venturing into partisan politics.

The CBN governor, had on Friday against the rules of the game, purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) valued at N100 million to contest the forthcoming party primaries.

Emefiele’s action, by all intent and purposes contravenes the CBN Act of 2007 and the Civil Service Rules, which stipulate that no public officer will engage in another job, whether paid or not, or present himself for any elective position while still in service.

However, the CBN governor has come out to say that the forms were purchased for him by three groups without his consent, and that he wasn’t interested. The groups, according report are the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Friends of Emefiele and Emefiele Support Group. The report added the group said Emefiele is the only responsible and responsive person to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari at the 2023 general election.

But Emefiele said that he was focused on strengthening the nation’s economy amid calls by supporters that he should contest the nation’s topmost office in 2023.

According to the groups, Nigeria is passing through a lot of economic and security challenges, and the parties and the electorate must bring in experience, dynamism, energy, equity and fairness in the choice of who becomes the next President of Nigeria.

However, political stakeholders and social analysts have condemned Emefiele for taking the path of politics while still in office, adding that the story of groups buying forms for him was unrealistic. They alleged that the CBN boss was totally aware of the process, and is feeding Nigerians with tales of unawareness.

It would be recalled that earlier before now, Nigerians have expressed concern over the way the apex bank boss was frolicking with politicians, and making utterances that suggest his interest in politics, and called for either his voluntary resignation or be sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari. Consequently, the eventual purchase of the forms did not come as a surprise to many when it was announced on Friday t.

In February, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential hopeful, Chief Dele Momodu, had warned of the possibility of the nation’s number one banker delving into partisan politics following his utterances and body languages, and asked the CBN Governor to resign honorably for dabbling into politics while still in office as well as for magnitudes of failures recorded under his watch.

In the press release which was exclusively made available to The Boss, Momodu accused the CBN boss of supervising an economy that has so far nosedived.

“The chicanery of a Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele dabbling into politics while still in office

“While it is the right of every Nigerian to aspire to the highest office, it is a joke carried too far for a Central Bank Governor to remain in office while he and his well known sponsors are seeking to hijack the political process.

“Under Emefiele’s watch, Nigerian economy has nosedived yet he and his collaborators seek to deceive Nigerians that all is well. Let me say categorically that Nigeria can never be bought by a few individuals because they want to protect themselves,” Momodu said.

Echoing Momodu’s stand, a popular online medium, shortly after, called for the resignation of the CBN governor in its editorial commentary, noting that “It is our considered view that the statutory independence granted the Central Bank and its governor is compromised, if not totally eroded, when a sitting and serving Governor of the Bank becomes a closet politician angling or lobbying to be appointed to or to contest for a partisan political office. Whether he openly makes known his partisan political interest or does so through shadow proxies is immaterial.”

By the provisions of sections 9 and 11(2)(c) of the CBN Act, a Governor, Deputy Governor or Director ceases to hold office if

a. He does not devote his full time to the service of the bank;
b. Engages in full or part time vocation like politics;
c. Engages in a personal cause (like politics) which (i) conflicts with his full time duties to the bank, or (ii) detracts from his full time duties to the bank; and
d. Is guilty of serious misconduct in relation to his duties under the Act.

As a result, the CBN’s governor’s participation in politics has been termed a breach of each of these sub-heads, and consequently, deserved to be sacked if he fails to resign.

In Section 11(3) of the same Act, it is required of the Governor or a Deputy Governor of the CBN to give three months notice of his intention to resign. Ideally, Emefiele should have done this before picking up membership of APC not to mention the Presidential nomination form.

Either way, there is an issue of eligibility hanging on the the apex bank boss. Stakeholders are of the opinion that ‘if Emefiele is not an APC member, he can’t contest now because he would fall foul of the requisite membership period. If he is, then he is conflicted under the Act and should resign or be deemed to have ceased to hold office.’

This is not the first time Emefiele has been called upon to resign.

In May 2019, SaharaReporters made public a phone conversation of Emefiele; his deputy, Edward Lametek Adamu; Director for Finance, Dayo M. Arowosegbe and one of the Special Advisers to the CBN Governor, Emmanuel Ukeje discussing how to cover up the loss of over N500 billion stolen from the CBN in a private investment that collapsed. The CBN accepted the authenticity of the audio conversation, but said no money was missing from the bank.

In September of the same year, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asked the CBN governor to resign over allegations of overseeing looting of funds in the nation’s apex bank.

According to the PDP, the allegations were based on the affirmations from the then Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee of the APC, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe during a Channels TV programme.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands the immediate resignation and prosecution of the Governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele going by allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he superintended over massive looting of funds in the CBN.

“Our party calls on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately invite Emefiele for questioning over allegations by the National Secretary of the illegal APC National Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe, that the CBN governor supervised over the pillaging of the nation’s vaults under his watch,” the party had said.

“Our party insists that beyond Akpan Udoedehe’s allegation, the tenure of Emefiele as CBN governor under the APC administration has witnessed colossal failures of monetary and fiscal policies, requiring him to vacate the office and hand himself over for investigation.

“It is instructive to note that when Emefiele took over office as CBN Governor in 2014, naira exchanged for N164 to a dollar. Today, in the hands of Emefiele and the APC, the naira has tumbled to a near N600 to a dollar, putting the nation’s economy on its knees.

“Painfully, under the leadership of Emefiele, the CBN has failed in its core mandate of managing the economy and took a dive into propaganda with claims that do not reflect the harsh economic reality on the ground,” it had added.

AKEREDOLU CALLS FOR EMEFIELE’S RESIGNATION

In a statement titled The CBN Governor Must Disengage Forthwith by Gov Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, it was revealed the action of the governor, is a joke taken too far. He prevailed on Emefiele to tow the line of decency and bow out of office. He said:

“The news of the purchase of Declaration of Intent and Nomination Forms to contest for the office of the President in the forthcoming general elections, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, purportedly by the supporters of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has been received with palpable disbelief and shock by many Nigerians. This act, if unchecked, timeously, portends great danger to the fragile economy of the country.

“Rumours had been rife on the subterranean partisan activities linked to him through these shadowy characters in the recent weeks. Pictures of branded vehicles, ostensibly purchased for electioneering campaigns, were also posted on the social media. The audacious moves by those who claimed to be supporting this interest have been unsettling.

“This latest news confirms that the Governor may indeed be interested in immersing himself in the murky waters of politics like any other Nigerian with partisan interests. It is incontrovertible that Mr Emefiele enjoys a constitutionally protected right to belong to any group or association and participate fully, just as any Nigerian. It is, however, difficult to imagine that a person who occupies the exalted and sensitive office of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria will be this brazen in actualizing his ambition.

“There is no gain asserting the obvious. The combined effect of the Public Service Rules, CBN Act and the 1999 Constitution, as amended, exposes not only the oddity inherent in this brash exercise of presumed right to associate. It also confirms the illegality of the act should he proceed to submit the forms while occupying the seat as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Consequently, we admonish Mr Emefiele to leave the office, immediately, for him to pursue his interest. He cannot combine partisan politics with the very delicate assignment of his office. Should he refuse to quit, it becomes incumbent on the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to remove him forthwith.

“This is a joke taken too far.”

PDP CALLS FOR EMEFIELE’S ARREST, PERSECUTION

The main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele for a catalogue of offences among which are abuse of office and financial impropriety.

This is as the boss of the apex bank purchased the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential form to contest the party primaries later this month.

The PDP made the call Saturday via a press statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba, and made available to The Boss.

The party noted that Emefiele has violated both the CBN Act of 2007 and the Public Service Rule which forbid any public servant from holding any other office, or indulge in partisan politics.

It also accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration of using the CBN as a conduit pipe to finance the APC long before now, and called for the immediate disengagement of the governor as CBN boss.

The statement in full:

APC Presidential Form: Emefiele Cannot Continue as CBN Governor – PDP
…Demands His Arrest, Prosecution for alleged Abuse of Office, Financial Impropriety

Gentlemen of the press,

You will recall that on March 25, 2022, our Party alerted the nation when we got intelligence that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele was being promoted by the Presidency as Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general elections.

At that time, we drew the attention of Nigerians to the provisions of the CBN Act 2007 and particularly referenced Section 9 which provides that “the Governor and the Deputy Governors shall devote the whole of their time to the service of the bank and while holding office, shall not engage in any full or part-time employment or vocation, whether remunerated or not…”

This provision is clear in demanding that 100 percent of the time and expertise of the CBN Governor and Deputy Governors shall be dedicated to the service of the CBN. This is because the CBN is critical to the integrity and stability of our economy.

Furthermore, Section 030422 of the Public Service Rule states that no public officer shall (a) “hold any office, paid or unpaid, permanent or temporary, in any political organization”, (b) offer himself/herself or nominate anyone else as a candidate for any elective public office…”, (c) “indicate publicly his support of or opposition to any party, candidate or policy and (d) “engage in canvassing in support of political candidates” unless such officer resigns his appointment.

Importantly, Section 030502 (g) of the Rule lists “engaging in partisan political activities’ as SERIOUS ACT OF MISCONDUCT.

Emefiele’s involvement in politics without resigning as CBN Governor therefore amounts to gross misconduct in contravention of Section 11 2 (2)(c) of the CBN Act.

Now that Mr. Emefiele has joined politics and reportedly obtained the N100 million Presidential aspirant form from the APC, he cannot continue to resume at the CBN which is the commonwealth of our nation.

By this Mr. Emefiele has become a clear and present danger to the health, integrity and reputation of the CBN and our nation’s financial sector. His continued stay as CBN Governor will further destroy investors’ confidence in the integrity of our nation’s financial regulatory Institution.

Mr. Emefiele’s involvement in partisan politics while still holding office as CBN Governor underpins the impunity, lawlessness and recklessness of the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration. It further confirms that the CBN under Emefiele has all along been the finance department of the APC.

It is now evident that the summersault of the economy under Mr. Emefiele as CBN Governor has been influenced by a personal partisan interest for which the CBN under his watch allegedly allowed multiple leakages in our financial regulations through discriminatory exchange rate policies and nebulous subsidies to funnel billons of naira to political lackies to fund a presidential ambition.

This also explains why under Emefiele, the CBN which is supposed to be the bankers’ bank continues to engage in fraudulent retail banking services under ill-defined economic intervention programmes to plunder the treasury.

The tsunamic macro-economic and fiscal policies of the CBN under Emefiele brought untold hardship to the productive and service sectors of our nation’s economy with consequential negative effect on the lives of our citizens.

It is provocative that instead of being remorseful, Mr. Emefiele is even insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians by seeking the office of the President while still holding office as CBN Governor.

The PDP points to reports in the public space of how Emefiele’s agents through corrupt practices, including manipulation of exchange rate, allegedly amassed sum close to $1 billion dollar which is already being deployed by the purchase of hundreds of Emefiele branded campaign vehicles in the colours of the APC in furtherance of a lavish Presidential campaign.

The direct consequences of such atrocious regime in the CBN under Emefiele is the collapse of our naira from N197 to N600 to a dollar, the crippling of our productive sector, multiple economic recession, increased poverty, inflation and unemployment rates, high costs of living and excruciating hardship to our citizens.

It is indeed saddening that President Muhammadu Buhari, who promised zero tolerance for corruption will enable, encourage and condone such atrocious regime in the CBN where our economy is opened to fraudulent pillaging to promote a political ambition.

Our Party stands with Nigerians in demanding the immediate arrest, investigation and prosecution of Mr. Emefiele by security and anti-graft agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged financial malfeasance and abuse of office in the CBN under his watch.

As Nigerians we are determined to confront this evil. We wish Mr. Emefiele well in his new found but ill-fated political vocation but we demand that he must be brought to account for the activities that he undertook, supervised and superintended over the years that he has been at the helm of affairs at the CBN and for which our economy is in comatose.

The PDP calls on all Nigerians; the Civil Society, Students, Organized Labour, the Media and all lovers of good governance to rise up as the PDP takes drastic actions in leading the charge to defend the integrity of the CBN, Rule of Law and ensure that those who brought our economy to its knees face the wrath of the law.

CONTEST, BUT LEAVE OUR CBN – TAMBUWAL TELLS EMEFIELE

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State also called on the Federal Government to ensure the resignation of the Central Bank Governor.

Tambuwal, a presidential aspirant on the platform of PDP, made the call in Jalingo, shortly after interacting with the party delegates ahead of PDP presidential primaries.

The governor said that Mr Emefiele’s continued stay in office, after openly identifying himself with a political party, should not be encouraged.

Headline

Yahaya Bello vs EFCC: The Tussle Continues

Published

1 day ago

May 5, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

With the declaration of the Apppeal Court, sitting in Abuja over the weekend, ordering a stay of proceedings in the contempt charge instituted by Yahaya Bello, former Kogi governor, against Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the stage seems set for an elongation of legal fireworks between the two feuding entities.

The declaration was a follow-up of Bello, who approached the Kogi High Court, seeking an order to issue and serve the respondent (EFCC chairman) with “form 49 notice” to show cause why an order of committal should not be made on him.

The judge, after listening to the arguments of the applicant’s counsel, the submission and the exhibits attached in the written address, granted Bello’s prayers and ordered Olukoyede to be summoned to appear before the court to answer the contempt charge.

However, while it is believed that the crisis of apprehending the former governor for prosecution is an institutional matter, many on the other hand, has accused the EFCC chairman of attaching a lot of personal interest in the matter going by the way he is fighting tooth and nail to see Bello in custody.

In a chat with editors at the EFCC Headquarters, Jabi, Abuja, the anti-graft agency chairman swore to follow the prosecution of Bello to the logical conclusion.

He also vowed that all those who obstructed the arrest of the former governor would be brought to justice.

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

“If I do not personally oversee the completion of the investigation regarding Yahaya Bello, I will tender my resignation as the EFCC Chairman,” Mr Olukoyede had vowed, adding that those who obstructed the arrest of the former governor would be brought to book. This was a veiled accusation against the governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo, who used security agents to forestall the arrest of Bello in Abuja.

Olukoyede had also accused Bello of paying his children’s school fees upfront with funds from the atatae coffers.

“A sitting governor moved $720,000 directly from the government account to the Bureau de Change and used it to pay for the school fees of his child in advance in a poor state like Kogi, and you want me close my eyes under the guise that I’m being used. Use by who? At this stage of my life? By who for crying out loud?

“I didn’t initiate the case, I inherited the case file,” he retorted.

The EFCC had sought to arrest Yahaya Bello following his absence from court, and an order by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja after his absence in court.

He was absent from court for his arraignment on a 19-count charge of alleged money laundering to the tune of ₦80bn.

The judge relied on sections 384(4) and (5) of the Administrative and Criminal Justice Act 2015, directing the counsel to the immediate past governor to receive a copy of the charge.

The court held that where it had become impossible to effect personal service of a legal process on a defendant, such could be done through substituted means.

Justice Nwite further held that it was clear that the former governor failed to appear in court for his arraignment.

Notable minds including veteran journalist, Dele Momodu; human advocate and constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome among others have said that the brazen nature with which Olukoyede is going about the matter smacks of personal vendetta, noting that now that the court of appeal has ordered a stay of execution of the contempt of court charges against Olukoyede, everyone must maintain status quotes, and allow Bello to respond to court summon, as the case is now between him and the court of Justice Nwite.

On his part, Momodu has lashed out at the EFCC for selective prosecution, wondering if Olukoyede has any personal stake in the matter, adding that generally the EFCC misfired in the Bello saga.

He said in part, during his Instagram live show:

“I don’t work for EFCC but from all the things that I have read, a lot of them, they misfired. That is the honest truth. They misfired. They didn’t do their due diligence. When you said a man took out money and paid for his children’s school fees, just as he was about to leave power, and you go and check the documents and you see that these things started happening from 2021, 2022 (laughs); I am not an illiterate.

“How do you expect me to believe everything they said when they were too much in a hurry to prosecute him that they did not take their time to check the file. Once you allow a lacuna in law, everything will fall flat.

“That is it. I am not one of those people who will say because I don’t like APC and because I supported Dino Melaye in the last election in Kogi State. Dino is my guy. But, I will not because of that be blinded by hatred for Yahaya Bello and say yes, he should go and surrender himself to EFCC when there is an existing injunction.

“And he is not the only governor who went to court and if the court has granted him that, so be it. We all know that our judiciary is not so perfect but you know, even at that, law is law, it must be obeyed. If we disobey the rule of law, then, we will have to obey the rule of the jungle. So, I never said that they are lying, it is their own statement that shows that they didn’t do their due diligence.”

TheCable, in its report, recalled that “a Kogi State high court presided over by Isa Jamil Abdullahi, had ordered Olukoyede to appear before it on May 13 to show why he should not be committed to prison for allegedly disobeying its order restraining the EFCC from arresting or taking any action against Bello.

“However, the EFCC chairman filed an appeal against the court summon.

“Olukoyede filed two motions, one seeking a stay of execution of the summon, and another one asking to serve processes on Bello via substituted means by pasting the process at his Abuja residence on No 9 Bengazi Steet Wuse Zone 4.

“In its ruling, a three-member panel of justices led by Joseph Oyewole granted the two motions.

“The appellate court fixed May 20 for the hearing of the substantive appeal marked CA/ABJ/CV/413/2024.

“Bello had on February 8, 2024, instituted a fundamental rights enforcement suit, asking the court to declare that “the incessant harassment, threats of arrest and detention, negative press releases, malicious prosecution” by the EFCC, “without any formal invitation, is politically motivated and interference with his right to liberty, freedom of movement, and fair hearing”.

“The former governor also sought an order “restraining the respondent by themselves, their agents, servants or privies from continuing to harass, threaten to arrest or detain him”.

“On February 9, the Kogi high court granted an interim injunction restraining the EFCC from “continuing to harass, threaten to arrest, detain, prosecute Bello, his former appointees, and his staff or family members, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive originating motion for the enforcement of his fundamental rights”.

On March 12, the EFCC filed an appeal against the interim injunction because the court could not stop the commission from carrying out its statutory responsibility.

The Kogi high court delivered judgment on the substantive motion on notice on April 17 wherein the presiding judge granted an order restraining the EFCC “from continuing to harass, threaten to arrest or detain Bello”.

However, the judge directed the commission to file a charge against Bello before an appropriate court if it had reasons to do so.

The judgment coincided with the recent “siege” laid on the Abuja residence of Bello by EFCC operatives seeking to arrest him.

The commission had also obtained a warrant of arrest against the former governor from the federal high court in Abuja.

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

At the scheduled arraignment on April 18, Bello was absent.

At the court session, Abdulwahab Mohammed, counsel to Bello, told Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, that the court lacked jurisdiction to grant the warrant of arrest in the first instance.

He referenced the February 9 interim injunction issued by the Kogi high court, adding that the appeal filed by the EFCC was still pending.

However, the EFCC has filed a notice to withdraw the appeal.

In the notice filed on April 22, the anti-graft agency said the withdrawal was predicated on the fact that events have overtaken the appeal.

The commission also admitted that the appeal was filed out of the time allowed by law.

With the present status, legal minds are of the opinion that matters have returned to status quo, and Justice Emeka Nwite, reserved the right to order Bello’s appearance in court, and await his appearance before any other injunction can be made.

“For now, it is not about who won or who did not. The matters of the case rest with the invitation of Bello by Justice Nwite. Bello was absent during his first summon, and the case was adjourned. So, everyone has to keep the calm and wait for the next hearing and see if he appears or not as directly by his lordship,” Ozekhome noted.

As it is therefore, May 20 will be a deciding factor for both Bello and EFCC as the tussle for who laughs last continues.

Headline

A’IBOM GOVT PARTNERS FHA ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

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.. donates 50 hectares of land for project take-off

Akwa Ibom State Government and the Federal Housing Authority ( FHA) have sealed a new partnership on the Diaspora Home Project, an affordable housing scheme of the President Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda, with flexible payment programme, for public servants resident in the State.

The partnership was reached as the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, announced a fifty hectares of land donation and any other required state government support, as counterpart facilitation for the federal government housing project during a courtesy visit by a delegation from FHA led by its MD/CEO, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, at Government House, Uyo.

In his words, “I want to assure you sir that we will work together. We have already allocated a piece of land and the Commissioner for Lands will make it available to you.

“Talking about the economic benefits such as creating employment, and all the other areas that you have talked about, we will give you all the necessary support for the benefit of our people,” he said.

Commending the all-inclusive leadership style of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Eno lauded the FHA helmsman for taking steps to collaborate and ensure synergy between the federal agency and governments of the respective states proposed for the project.

This, he said, was similar to the Akwa Ibom approach, where the government does not embark on any project without engaging the stakeholders to know the actual community needs per time, expressing hope that other federal agencies, like the NDDC, would take a cue from the disposition of the FHA.

He reiterated his commitment to supporting and collaboratively working with the President Tinubu-led federal government for the general good of the people, irrespective of their different political affiliations.

“We want to make our people happy and I think that is why God sent us here. We can show to our people that our brother is up there and is helping to bring things back home and I thank Mr. President for being a father to all.

“For us in Akwa Ibom, we will work with him because he is doing his very best. I don’t have to be in APC to support him. So I make it very clear, I am a member of the PDP, but I will support Mr. President always,” Governor Eno affirmed.

In his earlier presentation, Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, said housing was a critical component of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government and thanked the Akwa Ibom State Governor for readily supporting FHA’s Diaspora City project with land donation which, he stressed, was a priority requirement for the project.

According to him, besides coming to solicit for land, the FHA under his watch will be willing to collaborate with the state government in the areas of design, the actual building and ensuring off-takers for houses, while assuring of optimal and judicious utilisation of the allocated land.

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Revealed: Governor Umo Eno’s Communication to Senator Akpabio and His Response

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Admin

… Hosts State Banquet in Honour of Senate President, Akpabio

Governor Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State is reaching out to the federal government to foster collaboration aimed at accelerating the development of the Ibom Deep Seaport and an Oil Palm refinery.

Speaking at a State Banquet organised in honour of the president of the 10th Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio at the Government House Banquet Hall, Uyo, he urged the Senate President to help facilitate the projects for the good of the State and country at large.

He noted that it is a privilege and a blessing for the State to have a Senate President under his leadership as State Governor, and urged him to bring the dividends of democracy back home.

According to him, “Your Excellency, I had some requests while we were in my office, and I want to please make it public, they’re just three. The first thing I want to request is that you help facilitate a partnership with the Federal Government on the Ibom Deep Seaport.

“The second request is that we want to partner with the federal government to develop our oil palm plantation and to have an industrial oil mill in this state. This is the kind of thing that will bring employment and benefit our people. Finally, Your Excellency, we would like to pay a Thank You visit to Mr. President across party lines. We would like to go thank him for standing by you and supporting you.

“Your Excellency, we thank you and we want to assure you that we will continue to collaborate with you to bring development to our state and our nation at large,” he said.

Governor Eno appreciated President Bola Tinubu for the support given to an Akwa Ibom son to emerge as Senate President and assured the President of continuous support to enable him succeed.

“We want to thank the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We thank him for standing by you, and supporting the vision of your colleagues that today, Akwa Ibom has the number three citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“That’s the joy we have and that is the prize we carry, and we will continue to assure you that we will partner with you, partner with the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the Governor added.

The Governor who had earlier recieved the Senate President in his office on a courtesy visit, appreciated Sen. Akpabio for his visionary leadership when he served as governor of the State, and urged him to do even more as number three citizen of the country.

Pastor Eno who was elated by the visit, said “Your Excellency, it is very clear from Psalm 133:1, “how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! For me as a person, I believe that God brought me here by grace to bring about reconciliation. There is this saying that “together we stand, and divided we fall.

“Tonight, that portion of scripture has come tru3

Sitting here again as a man who laid the foundation and built this edifice many years ag is heart -warming . I know you have been in Akwa Ibom State many times, but this is the first official visit of the distinguished senate president to the seat of Government of Akwa Ibom State.

“We do not take it for granted. We want to thank God for lifting you up as a beacon of light for our State. We want to thank your colleagues that found you worthy to be made the leader of the Senate, and the Senate President,” he said.

He appreciated all his predecessors for laying good foundation for the state saying, “we have a very proud genealogy, and each and everyone of you that went ahead of us have done such a fantastic job that our role is just to keep maintaining like you have noticed and attempt to add few more things by the grace of God.”

The Governor appreciated other Senators for the support shown their president and especially for accompanying him on the courtesy visit as well as the gala night, and urged them to keep up the team spirit.

Earlier in his remarks, Senator Godswill Akpabio appreciated Governor Umo Eno for his spirit of peace and unity, and described him as an apostle of peace.

He specifically appreciated the Governor for the honour done him by the warm reception and for always identifying with him and others irrespective of political party affiliation.

Senator Akpabio commended the Governor for his achievements so far, and urged him to continue the good works and strive to do more.