Chief Nduese Essien, a former minister of housing, has delivered a damning assessment of Akwa Ibom State politics, claiming that cultists were dictating political appointments to the governor in the state.
In light of this, he cautioned the new governor, Pastor Umo Eno, not to compromise his moral position by caving in to their whims and aversions.
The wise man revealed this while taking questions from reporters at his country home in Eket, the state’s commercial hub.
You are aware that occultic practices have permeated nearly every aspect of the state, not just at the local level, but throughout the entire system, and that cultists are the ones who decide who gets what and where they go. The new administration should make sure that cultists don’t make policy decisions.
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“Since we are aware that he is not one of them, he is in a position to stop cultism from permeating the state’s government to the point where it affects other areas. Therefore, that is how I will interpret it.
“The state needs some stability before we can accomplish anything, so the new administration should make sure that peace is maintained in the state.
“He should also carry out any projects that the previous administration was unable to finish.
“We will demand that educational development receive more attention. In Akwa Ibom, education is no longer limited to the construction of classroom structures and the provision of desks and other supplies as it once was.
“We cannot really improve unless the quality of the staffing and the level of discipline in schools are improved. You will learn that there is no discipline if you are not involved in the educational system.
“I will anticipate that some special assistants will be entrusted with managing these schools. We must also lessen state-wide indiscipline.
“The practice of cultism in the state has been both a grave risk and a source of shame. It has gotten to the point where joining a cult is now a requirement for success, and this is no longer acceptable. In some cases, cultists chose the candidates for positions and made the appointments. They prevented those of us who didn’t join a cult in school from achieving our goals.
“When they came to me, I told them I didn’t join it in school, but they said no, I can’t handle the rigours of initiation now. If you let it control most things, nothing you do will be successful. Cultism needs to be severely reduced.
The incoming governor is from a different background than them and has known them for a long time, so he will get along with them. We therefore think that he will be able to have an impact on the state given that orientation.
