By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Fear has gripped commissioners in Akwa Ibom as Governor Umo Eno is set announce the dissolution of the executive council today and may likely send members appointed by his predecessor parking.
Eno who succeeded former Governor Udom Emmanuel inherited and retained all the commissioners and advisers appointed by the former governor.
Last year , during a media briefing which took place in September to mark the 37th anniversary of the state , Eno announced that the State Executive Council would be dissolved to pave way for another set of professionals to bring new ideas into governance.
Some of the commissioners have been in office for close to ten years as some of them served with former Governor Godswill Akpabio was in office.
Sources close to the governor’s office have disclosed that the valedictory council meeting scheduled to hold today will mark the dissolution of the state executive council.
It was gathered that the commissioners and advisers were retained to allow the present governor to ‘compensate them for the services they rendered since they were not rewarded by the time the last administration came to an end on May 29, 2023″
Sources have also confirmed that the commissioners last week received a “favourable handshake” from Eno paving the way for their tenure to come to an end.
” Umo Eno inherited all the commissioners from his predecessor except the Commissioner for Internal security General Koko Essien (retd) appointed to head the newly created ministry of internal security.
“Those commissioner are still there. The governor lacks the political will to dissolve the cabinet, even after he had publicly said he would do so.”
Two commissioners from the ministry of special duties and the ministry of environment who exited the state exco last year are yet to be replaced.
Chief Unoh Etim Unoh , who was the commissioner for environment but resigned to contest the local government election in Urue Offong Uruko has yet to be replaced while Dr Bassey Okon who was sacked by the state government has not been replaced either.
Speaking during the Thanksgiving service on January 2, Eno had criticized his commissioners for claiming that there was “nothing beneficial in government yet they were not willing and ready to resign.”
He said the commissioners were like a nagging housewife who would say her marriage was not worth the while but has had seven children while still in the marriage .
The state government is also scheduled to organize a dinner night for the outgoing members of the state executive council.
