The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel has issued a warning to political office seekers and stakeholders in the state against mounting undue pressure on him for their preferred candidates to make the appointment list.
He stressed that his choice of executive members would strictly be based on merit and excellence not godfatherism.
Speaking during the swearing in of newly appointed Head of Civil Service and Permanent Secretaries at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Emmanuel revealed that he would likely retain most members of the immediate past Executive Council because of the numerous projects he needed to complete under their supervision.
According to him, “Like I always say, nobody should send me text to lobby for any candidate because that is the surest route to the disqualification of such a person.
“Once I receive a name of any director from a stakeholder, it means the person is not qualified and lacks self confidence.
“Don’t come and tell me that this person didn’t work during the election and should be dropped, because everybody worked and they all supported me.
“If you attempt to blackmail anybody, that will even spur me to reappoint that person,” the governor said.
The governor, who charged the newly sworn in Head of the Civil Service, Elder Effiong Edem Essien and permanent secretaries to raise the bar of excellence in the discharge of their responsibilities, announced that more permanent secretaries would soon be appointed.
He expressed his desire to spread the appointments across the local government Areas of the state, but decried the absence of qualified personnel from some Local Government Areas, an issue he said should be of serious concern to stakeholders in such areas.