From Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has created a new state ministry to take charge of Power and Petroleum Development, swearing in four new commissioners into his cabinet on Monday.
This comes as the governor dropped the longest-serving Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state and newly appointed Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), Mr Uwemedimo Nwoko.
He has been replaced by another SAN, Uko Essien Udom.
This is the third time Emmanuel has reshuffled his Executive Council since takingoffice in 2015.
The governor, while swearing in the commissioners and five permanent secretaries at the banquet hall of the Governor’s Office on Monday, charged them to put the interest of the state first.
That sworn-in as commissioners include: Uko Udom, SAN, Dr John James Edet, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet, and Pastor Umo Eno. The five Permanent Secretaries include: Mr Ini James Ikie, Dr Ini Jackson Etukudo, Mrs Esther Aniekan Inyang, Mrs Grace Paulinus Jim, and Mrs Abasiekeme Victor Essien.
He charged the newly sworn-in commissioners on diligent service in the discharge of their duties, advising them to shun self-aggrandisement but to work always in the interest of the 7.2 million Akwa Ibom people who they have sworn to serve.
The governor advised them not to be deterred by criticisms but to bring to bear their wealth of experience as expressed in their resumè in their contributions to the success of the administration’s “Completion Agenda”.
‘We join all right-thinking Akwa Ibom people to congratulate the new appointees and wish them success in their new offices,’ the governor remarked.