Okobo PDP Supporters Groan Over Diversion of Governor Umo Eno’s Christmas Largesse By Transition Chairman Of Okobo, George Henshaw

The  Concerned Stakeholders and Members of the  Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Okobo Local  Government Area of Akwa Ibom State received with initial restraint and shock, the  reports that the Transition Chairman of Okobo Local Government Area, Hon. George Henshaw, had claimed to be the principal source and donor of the bags of rice that he gave to a few of  his selected friends, which he craftily addressed as Stakeholders of Okobo, as part of his Xmas and New Year gifts.

However, as patriotic indigenes of Okobo, Stakeholders and  staunch Members of PDP , advocating for and championing the cause of  transparency and accountability in governance, following  news reports in the social media, we can authoritatively confirmed that Hon. George Henshaw made such claims while giving the bags of rice to his cabal of friends.

First and foremost, we condemn in the strongest terms the Transition Chairman"s disrespect and audacity to misrepresent the kind-hearted governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, short-change the generality of Okobo people by his scheming, and arrogated undue credit to himself without the mentioning of the Governor.

To put the record straight,  Pastor Umo Eno, had, in expression of his goodwill during the 2023 Christmas and New Year festivities donated good quantity of Arise Agenda 25-kg bags of rice to all 31 local government areas in the State, duly including Okobo local government area. 

However, while the people of Okobo were waiting in eager expectation for the largesse, it is now no longer news how Hon. George Henshaw had invited a few of his friends and advisers to Watbridge Hotel, Uyo, where he gave out some bags of the government rice with claims that it was solely from him and cajoled them that the largesse will be quarterly.

Part of the news reports we have retrieved which was allegedly authored by the Media Unit to the Transition Chairman plainly stated: "The TC in his remarks said that the gesture was informed by his passion to show gratitude to Okobo people for the choice of his appointment as Chairman of the Transition Committee".

The report also alluded to how " all those who spoke at the event expressed their happiness over George Henshaw''s kind gesture and benevolence for the people of Okobo without also acknowledging the Governor.

According to the Spokesperson of the PDP Stakeholders, Chief Joseph Okon, “we are concerned that the above named persons would be so gullible to have  fallen victims and deliberately be parties to George Henshaw"s greed and power antics, to curry favour. To the best of our knowledge and authentic Intel at our disposal, George Henshaw had already begun his campaigns technically, bypassing every known principle and preempting the party and governor of the State.”

“We state  categorically,that, following the said report, our Members have undertaken underground checks across the 10 wards in the local government and discovered that there has been no formal and open meetings with members of the wards for the distribution of the bags of rice rightly donated by His Excellency. 

"This swindling by Henshaw and few of his followers  we can state, has already wounded feelings across the local government, with people wondering why the Transition Chairman would mindlessly choose to take them for fools.”

“We are worried that against the directive of His Excellency that all chairmen should reside and hold meetings in their local government areas, Okobo Transition Committee Chairman has chosen Watbridge Hotel as  Okobo Liason Office and chosen to hold meetings there at his behest", the spokesperson stressed. 

It  is emphatically on this ground that we respectfully and passionately appeal that His Excellency use his discretion in getting to the root of this arm-twisting and subterfuge by George Henshaw. For what many we have spoken to amongst members of the 10 wards, they are still waiting for His Excellency's largesse, as it was done in other local government areas across the State by responsible and peoples-oriented chairmen.

We blew this whistle without any prejudice to the person of George Henshaw, but based essentially on the crux of our patriotic observations and in unwavering solidarity, support and appreciation of His Excellency's commitment to making Akwa Ibom better.