By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Worried about the unending investigations and litigations against Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom over alleged forgery of his WAEC result,a Cleric of the African Church, Rev Richard Peters has called for restraint inorder to avoid further distraction in the pursuit of the Governor’s Arise Agenda.
He has also expressed worry that some distractors have continued to make case over a matter that was decided by the Supreme Court in favour of Eno before the 2023 elections.
Against the backdrop of the recent suit at a Lagos High Court in which the police is seeking a fresh order to compel the Heads of WAEC to surrender Eno’s records to restart investigations of the same certificate, Peters told newsmen in Uyo on Friday that the action was politically motivated and detestable.
According to him, “the new order for fresh investigation has nothing to do with justice but rather further mudsling of his character, integrity and dent of the image of the person of Pastor Umo Eno, a serious propaganda and desecration of the exalted office of the governor of Akwa ibom state.
“The whole essence of these onslaught is to weaken him and completely distract him from governance which he was recently elected to serve by the people and make him fail as a governor but they have failed.
“The Umo Eno we know don’t fail for such gimmicks, In the build up to the 2023 elections, he was faced with over 12 litigations in the various courts over similar and sundry issues, he expressed confidence in the ability of the judiciary to bring the truth and finally he triumphed.”
The good governance advocate further highlighted that, “Gov Umo Eno had earlier said before his clearance by the supreme court on the same certificate matter that if found guilty of forging his WAEC certificates, that he will not only quit politics but also his pastoral calling which is a bold statement from a man who has nothing to hide from anyone.”
He described the unending investigation and probe as a calculated distractions as Akwa ibom people would not judge his administration by it stressing that “even if foreign police are deployed for same purpose, the result will not be different from the earlier results.”
The cleric appealed to concerned Akwa ibom people at home and in diaspora to rise against the smear campaign and maligning of the person and office of their governor and advised those doing so to have a rethink as those sympathetic to the governor would use every legal means to protect him.
“Whatever legal means it takes us to stop further damage on the personality of the governor must be done. Why fresh investigation on a matter that transcended Federal High Court, Court of Appeal and ended in Supreme Court in favor of Umo Eno just few months ago.
“This is a pure smear campaign and no longer seeking justice as the supreme court has long dished out justice. They are now operating on the realms of smear campaigns.
“What further evidence are they looking for from the same WAEC, is it to delist Umo Eno’s name from those who took the exams that year? I am a concerned Akwa ibom citizen and together we will resist further mudsling of the character and integrity of our governor.” Peters concluded.
