In all civilized societies, a piece of advice, when genuinely given does not warrant a rejoinder but when the adviser is manifestly biased with intent to distort facts and mislead the public, the need arises to set the records right. No predecessor can be more unfriendly than you have demonstrated to Chief (Dr.) Godswill O. Akpabio. Akwaibomites and Visitors/Guests have observed your consistent absence from all invitations to State functions, no matter how patriotic the event may be. We have discovered that the only offence of His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Godswill O. Akpabio is that he dared you to contest and win the Party Nominations and Elections of December, 2006 and April 2007 respectively against your anointed successor and son-in-Jaw, Dr Udoma Ekarika. Since then you vowed to see nothing good in the Governor, no matter how attractive, brilliant and reasonable his policies, programmes and projects may be.

We are aware of multiple petitions you have caused your proxies to write to the President and Commander-in- Chief, His Excellency; Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua, the EFCC and the ICPC against the Governor to no avail. Despite invitations you refused to attend the 10th Anniversary PDP Stakeholders meeting which was held in this State; the Wards, Local Government and State Congresses held in the State, the Zonal Congress which was held in Rivers State in March 2008, and the National Convention of the same year. Likewise, you refused to attend the National Convention of 20th April, 2009 and all State functions. You did not even attend the Akwa Ibom State Revenue Summit which you quoted in your letter as the venue where the Minister of State for Finance advised on Prioritization of projects. It appears that you are no longer a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and have designed your attack on His Excellency the Governor as a measure to pull him down. Your “advice” of May 24th 2009 in the Vanguard Newspaper and other print media was therefore shrouded in suspect, same being given in bad faith. Understandably, we appreciate the surprise that the rapid development of the State in 2 years of Chief (Dr) Godswill Akpabio’s Administration has given you when compared with your 8 years of governance of the State. Akwa Ibom people have now distinguished action from the confusion of the past administration, selfless service from hypocrisy, reality from cosmetic rule and value for their enhanced revenue allocation.

We are compelled to rejoin on your write up publicly since your “advice” cannot be given privately.
It may interest you to know that under the present governance of the State, things are done in accordance with due process.

AKWA IBOM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
We can recall that during your 8 years tenure in Akwa Ibom State as governor, contracts were arbitrarily awarded to companies without skill, experience or expertise to execute the jobs. A case in point is Dyncorp International Ltd, which you brought to construct Akwa Ibom International Airport. Do you know that the company is not registered either in USA or in Nigeria? Are you aware that the same company has not built any airport anywhere in the world? What happened to the N50b (Fifty Billion Naira) paid on the Airport Project that stopped at feasibility studies at your tenure expiration? Did you need to close a Federal Road leading from Uyo to Oron before building an airport? In that case, who were your advisers?

AKWA IBOM INDEPENDENT POWER PLANT
Your Excellency, the paradox of your Akwa Ibom Independent Power Plant which you referred to in your “advice” cries to the heavens. The project you claimed to have commissioned has not generated any watt of electricity till date. We can recall that the then President, His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo whom you invited to commission your IPP with a hidden Generating Plant was sharp to notice the fraud and declined the Commissioning, contending that Governments do not commission ongoing projects. Even the people of Ikot Abasi where you sited your ill-fated IPP Project would debunk your claim that “All that was required was 43km transmission line to be built to evacuate the power to the intake point at Eket”. If your claim is true, why did your administration not inject the little amount to give Akwaibomites electric power? Yet you paid 98% of the contract value when the actual work done was below 50%.

AKWA IBOM STATE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Your Excellency, your University of Technology which you designed for 8 years was not constructed till you left office. Are you aware that the Prestigious University of Kogi State which was started by His Excellency Abubakar Audu, Governor of the State (1999 - 2003) at the same time with you had graduated 5 sets of students into the labour market at the time of this write up? What legacy of the University of Technology did you bequeath to your successor?

INDUSTRIES
Your Excellency, can you mention any industry that your administration of 8 years brought to Akwa Ibom State or the refurbishing of any industry by you that existed before you came to power?

AKWA IBOM SCIENCE PARK
Your Excellency, what happened to the much talked about Science Park which you committed the sum of N5.8b (Five Billion, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) out of the total contracts sum of N6b (Six Billion Naira) and yet, the project did not depart foundation level? In that case, who advised you to pay money for a contract not executed?

Your Excellency, in your “advice”, you alluded to His Excellency staying at Lagos before he was made a Commissioner. We thought that you had been aware that he was serving as an Executive Director at EMIS International Limited, a reputable communication outfit at Lagos. What about you? Were you not staying at Kaduna as a resident, native and contractor before Atuekong Don Etiebet gave you consensus to become the Governor of our State? And what more! Have you not fled from Akwa Ibom to live at Lagos since the expiration of your tenure?

RETICULATION OF WATER IN AKWA IBOM STATE
Your Excellency, you also lamented in your “advice”, your inability to reticulate water to the houses of Akwa Ibom people. To put records straight we contend that you never initiated any veritable water programme for the State in your 8 years, no part of Akwa Ibom ever availed themselves of Government - driven potable water.

The only water your administration gave to Akwa Ibom were the flood at Oron Road, Ikot Ekpene Road and Itam Junction which were popularly called “Inyang Attah” meaning ‘Attah River’. Remember Your Excellency that your administration spent a whooping sum of N16b on drainage in Uyo alone while we are experiencing uncontrollable flood each time it rains.

PROPOSED DUALISATION OF UYO - IBESIKPO ROAD
Your Excellency, would you consider it justifiable to demolish most buildings along Ibesikpo - Uyo Road for a proposed dualisation of the road which never came till you left office?

UYO MASTER PLAN
Your Excellency, if it is true that you are the one that was retained and drew the Master Plan of Uyo, then the plan must be a horrible one since you as an architect and designer could not interprete nor implement it in 8 years. Are you aware that you left Uyo Capital City worse than you met it? Our advice to His Excellency, Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio is to source for a more reputable architect to re-design the Master Plan for Uyo if we are dreaming of a standard city.

ULTRAMODERN OVERHEAD BRIDGE AT ITAM JUNCTION
Your Excellency, we are surprised that you are the only person who did not realize the overbearing necessity of an overhead bridge at Itam Junction axis of the- State. Practically, the traffic congestion in the area leads to holdups for vehicles and warrants an overhead bridge on that spot. Notably, that is the junction where commuters from within and outside Akwa Ibom aggregate while entering the State capital. A visionary and dynamic Governor like Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio knows that this is the time to put in the facility, to ease present and future traffic congestion at that mouth piece of the State.

THE TROPICANA PROJECT
Let us address your Excellency on The Tropicana Project. The conception and siting of the Tropicana Project at the present site is most suitable. Even reasons given by you are in support of the fact that the project will serve as accessible accommodation, seminars, conferences, meetings and recreation for dignitaries visiting the State. The location is as central to the State as the prestigious TRANSCORP - Hilton is to Abuja. The ambience of prestigious institutions on Udo Udoma Avenue lends credence to the siting of the Tropicana along that route to serve anticipated and expected guests to the State.

On the value of the project, we wish to intimate you that the present State House of Assembly had appropriated the amount in the State budget after due consideration of cost benefit analysis. Again, His Excellency the present Governor has informed Akwaibomites that there is money to undertake the project. On parking space, we doubt whether you know the Tropicana site properly. We urge you to pay a visit to the site and you will appreciate the expanse of land for the project. We are aware that Environmental Impact Assessment has been satisfactorily completed and the suitability of site confirmed. We advice you that when next you want to write an open letter to His Excellency the Governor, you check your facts correctly before you put pen on paper. The truth is that we are aware that you would have preferred such an establishment to be sited at Bangkok, Bahamas or Dubai. The present economic revolution in the State requires such an institution as the Tropicana which will play host to Akwaibomites and foreign investors.

ECONET WIRELESS (ZAIN) INVESTMENT
Your Excellency, remember that your administration invested over 7 Billion Naira in 2002 on the then Econet Wireless now Zain International Communication outfit. At the verge of your departure from office, you sold our State shares for the sum of $226m. What happened to the proceeds of the sale? Who are the Directors on the Board of the Company we heavily invested? Is there any member of your family on the Board of that Company?

DEFUNCT CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT BANK
We wish to remind you, Your Excellency, that before you came to office, Akwa Ibom was priding as the sole owner of the then Co-operative Development Bank with branches all over the Country. This served as a suitable employment centre for our teaming and qualified Akwa Ibom indigenes. You unadvisedly, negotiated the acquisition of the said Bank by First City Monument Bank Plc. Are you aware that this State has suffered through the retrenchment of our qualified personnel in that Bank?
We consider as uncharitable the Bible portion you quoted in the book of Ezekiel suggesting imminent ill will on Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio. We rebuke such prophecy on our Governor. However, we understand from the Holy Bible too that Satan also quotes the Bible for his own evil purposes. Your Excellency, although you have volunteered exile to Lagos, we invite you to come back home and join Akwaibomites to celebrate your successor Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio, who, within 2 years has positively changed the destiny of Akwa Ibom in the following directions.

1. Provision of Urban and Rural tarred roads in the three Senatorial Districts of Eket, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene including the dualisation of major roads. This government has shown that it is possible to bring infrastructural development in all parts of the State simultaneously.
   
2. 1st in history -provision of Compulsory and qualitative and Free education in Akwa Ibom State.
   
3. Construction and Commissioning of over 800 rural-based projects in different parts of the State.
   
4. Construction and completion of a befitting Governor’s Lodge in Akwa Ibom State.
   
5. Construction of an ultra-modem overhead bridge at Itam Junction (ongoing).
   
6. Construction of a Mega State Library Complex at 1BB Avenue, Uyo.
   
7. Renovation of Akwa Ibom State Presidential Lodge.
   
8. Procurement of 31 new graders for grading of rural roads in the 31 Local Government (i) Prompt payment of workers salaries and allowances and the payment of 13 months salary to workers.
   
9. Encouragement of Traditional Rulers with Motor Vehicles enhanced monthly stipends and other incentives.
   
10. Promotion of a good working relationship with Christians, Moslems and the Clergy through prompt sponsorship of religious pilgrims.
    
11. Promotion of total unity amongst the three ethnic components making the State.
    
12. Maintenance of peace and order in the State.
    
13. Enhancement of improved healthcare facilities in the State and procurement of a Dialysis Centre at University of Uyo Teaching Hospital which has saved many lives. Provision of Free Health-care for maternity women and children under five years.
    
14. The re-accreditation of 23 courses at University of Uyo which the National University Commission scrapped due to lack of adequate facilities in the institution during your tenure.
    
15. The construction of new class room blocks, access tarred roads, and provision of teaching aids at the University of Uyo which led to the first in history convocation ceremony at the permanent site of the University.
    
16. Payment of Bursary to students of Akwa Ibom Origin in tertiary institutions and special allowances to students reading Professional Courses in Law, Medicine, Engineering etc.

We urge your Excellency, to appreciate the performance of your successor in 2 years of governance of Akwa Ibom State which is symptomatic of many good things that shall take place in our State before he leaves office. Your Open Letter to our Governor on the Tropicana had fallen short of the expectation of a Statesman which you claim to be. We advise you to refrain from all unwarranted and spurious petitions aimed at distracting the digital Governor Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio from his good works in the State. A word is enough for the wise.

Signed by 24 Political Leaders of the Local Government Area