A pro-peace organization, Alliance for Peace in the Niger Delta (APND), has called on the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to concentrate on the demands of his office and stop actions and unguarded utterances that have the capacity to fuel ethnic divisions and violence in his home state, Akwa Ibom.
The body also frowned at what it called “deliberate actions and vituperation made by Senator Akpabio in denigration of the person and office of the Governor of Akwa Ibom, Pastor Umo Eno” as well as the institution of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly
APND in a statement on Wednesday by its National Coordinator, Nsikak Francis, lamented that the comments by Senator Akpabio at the opening of the National Assembly leaders retreat in Ikot Ekpene as well as at the 36th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service of the State held in Uyo, the State Capital, could pitch the people against themselves, disrupt the peace and trigger widespread ethnic violence in the State.
The peace body insisted that Senator Akpabio’s “unguarded outbursts” on issues relating to the traditional institution leadership as well as the mapping of Akwa Ibom State are “to say the least, thoughtless, unstatesmanlike and ostensibly intended to cause divisions and unnecessary conflict among the various peoples of Akwa Ibom State.
“It is instructive to note that the people of Akwa Ibom State are living in peace and tranquility since the last eight years, under the immediate past Governor of the State, Udom Emmanuel, and the incumbent Pastor Umo Eno.
However, it is saddening that this peace is now being threatened by the unguarded utterances by Senator Akpabio, apparently for personal political reasons.
“More distressing is that our check has revealed that the Senate President is allegedly the brain behind the traditional institution leadership arrangement. His current revolt and outburst against the issue therefore appears to be with the intention to cause crisis.
“This body counsels Senator Akpabio not to import into Akwa Ibom State the same proclivity which is brewing serious crisis in the Senate for which he is facing impeachment threats, the same proclivity which destabilized the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs under his watch as Minister and for which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu nearly scrapped the Ministry.
“Akwa Ibom is a home of peace. The people have elected a new Governor in the person of Pastor Eno and they are happy with his leadership style. Senator Akpabio has had his time as the State governor. He is now the Senate President, he should concentrate on his duties in the National Assembly and desist from this unnecessary attempt to cause crisis in the Akwa Ibom State”, the APND stated.
The peace body called on the people of Akwa Ibom State to discountenance Senator Akpabio’s antic and continue to protect the peace that pervades their state.
It also called on President Tinubu to call Senator Akpabio to order adding that his activities in the State, if not addressed, is capable of causing very serious crisis in the State but also in the entire Niger Delta region with a devastating negative consequence on the economy of the nation.
The group however urged Nigerians to hold Senator Akpabio responsible should there be any ethnic-based breakdown of Law and Order in Akwa Ibom State.
