Cultists Dictate Political Appointments In A-Ibom — Ex-Minister
Toscad News Former Minister of Housing, Chief Nduese Essien, has given a damning verdict on Akwa Ibom State politics, alleging that cultists were the ones dictating to the governor on political appointments in the polity.
He, therefore, warned the new governor, Pastor Umo Eno, not to compromise his principled stance by buckling under their whims and caprices.
The elder statesman disclosed this while fielding questions from reporters at his country home in Eket, the commercial nerve centre of the state.
He said: “You know that occultic practices have pervaded virtually all aspects of the state, not only at the local level but it has also pervaded the system and it is the cultists that decide who gets what and who goes where. The incoming government should ensure that cultists do not take decisions for government.
“Since we know he is not one of them, he is in a position to prevent cultism from invading the government of the state to the extent of affecting other aspects. So, that is the way I will look at it
“The administration should ensure peace is maintained in the state because before you can achieve anything in the state, we need some stability.
“He should also continue with whatever projects the outgone administration has not been able to complete.
“We will want more attention to be paid to educational development. Education in Akwa Ibom is not what it used to be, it is not just building of classroom blocks and providing desks and the rest.
“The quality of staffing and the level of discipline in schools, if not improved, we cannot really improve. If you are closed to the school system, you will find out that there is no discipline.
“I will expect that some special assistants should be given responsibilities to oversee some of these schools. We also have to reduce indiscipline in the state.
“The operation of cultism in the state has been a serious danger and embarrassment. It has come to a point that you must belong to a cult group before you can become somebody and that cannot be tolerated any more. We had situations where cultists were the ones that appointed people into positions. For us, who didn’t join cult in school, they did not allow us to get what we want.
“When they came to me I told them, I didn’t join it in school, they said no, I cannot withstand the rigour of initiation now. Cultism has to be seriously reduced because whatever you do is not going to be effective, if you allow it determine most things.
“The incoming governor has lived in the state for quite a long time and he knows them and he is not from that background that he will get along with them. So, we believe that with that orientation, he will be able to impact on the state.”
Source:vanguardngr.com
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