By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
A socio political group ARISE Ambassadors has described the position of Akwa ibom based Non governmental organization Policy Alert on the recent appointment of over 368 political Aides by Governor Umo Eno as biased and ill informed.
Policy Alert, a Civil Society Organization that promotes fiscal and ecological justice in the Niger Delta has said that the administration of Governor Umo Eno has failed to learn from the mistakes of the last administration in terms of its cost of governance.
The NGO also said the current administration appears to have towed the path of its predecessor by recruiting over 300 personal assistants, in addition to other advisers and aides to the governor, which the organization said only create a bloated payroll that does not really add any value other than the political.
Policy Alert made this known through its Executive Director, Tijah Bolton-Akpan while making interventions during the Akwa Ibom State Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) 2024-2026 Consultation.
The organization noted that the cost of governance in the State as seen in the trend of the State recurrent expenditure being higher than the capital expenditure has continued to give reason for concern.
However, the National Chairman of ARISE Ambassadors Revd. Richard Peters in a press conference with Journalists on Tuesday said the NGO is completely oblivious of the policy direction of the present administration in the state as captured in its ARISE Agenda Blueprint which placed so much emphasises on rural development
According to him, ” Beyond the basic obligations of government which is protection of lives and property, government is bound to make life more meaningful for its citizens.
“For Government to make positive impacts on the lives of her citizens, several programs and policies are designed and these are expected to be driven by people and not robots.
Governor Umo Eno has desired to reach every nook and cranny of the state and had announced 31 projects for the 31 local government areas of the state in addition to the ongoing ones, He needs people to assist him coordinate his programs and policies in the rural areas”.
He further highlighted, ” The Appointments of the 368 aides will not only add value to the effective administration at the grassroots level but also provide jobs for a good number of citizens and the positive multiplier effects will trickle down to several others who will be impacted both family members and others in the community” adding that government operates in stratas for transparency and accountability in all its dealings.
He opined, ” we sincerely disagree with Policy Alert on their position, the appointment had already enliven the rural areas, the aides will help quicken the implementation of policies and programs, it has also shown the promised policy of inclusiveness in governance which the governor pledged, more people are now involved directly in policy formulation and implementation in the state”
Debunking the allegations of mismanagement of resources by the immediate past administration in the state through high cost of Governance, Revd Peters recalled, ” There is no basis for saying that as several reputable organisations including the US Consul General rated the past administration high in transparency and accountability in governance, The state also came top in budget implementation while the yearly audited account of the state is always put out in the public domain”
“The incumbent administration in the state welcomes objective criticism as it will help government remains focused I will advise the leadership of Policy Alert to rather canvass better or more beneficial ways to do things. It is a known fact that the game of football is always sweeter to watch and criticize with a bottle of beer in the bar but difficult when you are in the pitch as a player” he stressed.
