Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel has sacked his Chief of Staff, Akparawa Ephraim Inyangeyen, with immediate effect.
The sack was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, dated 22nd February and addressed to the former Chief of Staff.
The SSG, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, said that the sack became necessary due to the urgent need to match skill set and competencies to the task of maintaining the momentum of economic development required in the state.
“On behalf of His Excellency, the Governor, government and the good people of Akwa Ibom State, I write to convey to you His Excellency, the Governor’s profound appreciation of the worthy contributions you made to the development of our dear State while you served as Chief of Staff to the Governor,” the letter partly read.
“However, given the urgent need to match skill set and competencies to the task of maintaining the momentum of economic development in peace, your services are no longer required and you are hereby relieved of your position, as Chief of Staff ( CoS) to His Excellency, the Governor with immediate effect.”
The release did not name any replacement for the former chief of staff. But NewsWireNGR recalls that the aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel had declared to run for the Nigerian Senate in 2023, despite the governor, alongside some political leaders in Akwa Ibom State, zoning the particular race to an area outside where the aide hails from.
The aide, Ephraim Inyangeyen, who is the chief of staff to Mr Emmanuel, met on Friday with his extended family to officially inform them of his intention to contest the senatorial election for the Akwa Ibom South District.
Mr Inyangeyen and the governor hail from Onna Local Government Area of the state.
Onna is in Eket Federal Constituency which is part of Akwa Ibom South District.
Governor Emmanuel and others have agreed to a deal that the next senator for the district should come from another constituency – Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency.
After Governor Emmanuel declined interest in the Senate race, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in the district met last month at the residence of Nduese Essien, a former minister of Lands and Urban Development, and took a decision to zone the Senate race to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency.
Mr Inyangeyen, while consulting the PDP leaders on Friday in his ward in Onna, said zoning was not bringing “the best” to the district.
“It is my position that everything henceforth be based on competence and credibility. Let all those who seek that office test their popularity in the field.
“Everybody in Eket Senatorial District feels the same level of sadness over the kind of representation the senatorial district has witnessed in the past 15 years.
“Any patriotic son or daughter of the senatorial district should be bothered. Hence my decision to commit my capacity to the kind of change I envision,” Mr Inyangeyen said.
