The Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Thursday, spoke against the recall process initiated against Dino Melaye, the senator representing Kogi West.
Mr. Emmanuel said it was only in Nigeria that you would see people wanting to recall a “performing” senator like Mr. Melaye.
The governor was speaking in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, during a constituency briefing and empowerment programme organised by the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, for his constituents in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.
Gov. Emmanuel is of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while Mr. Melaye is of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Mr. Melaye, including other senators from both PDP and APC, was a guest of Senator Akpabio at the ceremony which took place at the Ikot Ekpene Stadium.
Apparently referring to the ongoing recall process against Mr. Melaye, Gov. Emmanuel said, “If you take back the general, is it the recruit that will go and fight for you in politics?”
Mr. Emmanuel, however, said the effort to recall Senator Melaye was an indication that the Nigerian politics was “very vibrant”.
“Nigeria is only sick economically,” Mr. Emmanuel said.
Mr. Melaye, while addressing the crowd earlier, said it was a “fundamental truth” that Governor Emmanuel was doing well for Akwa Ibom state and the people.
Mr. Melaye said when he came into the state, he interacted with the civil servants in the state and was informed that Governor Emmanuel had paid their salary up to date.
“I started crying for my own state, Kogi. I said eh… So, your governor is not owing salary, and they said ‘no’.
“God bless you Governor (Emmanuel). We in Kogi, we need anointing from you,” Mr. Melaye said.
Mr. Melaye, in the course of his speech, thrilled the crowd with his taunting song in Yoruba language, Aje kun iya ni’oje.
He also dished out his signature lines: “If you speak the truth, you die. If you lie, you die. I have chosen to speak the truth and die”.
Mr. Akpabio, at the ceremony donated four tractors, over 800 power-generating sets, 100 computer sets, and printers, as well as sewing machines, grain-grinding machines, block molding machines and tricycles to his constituents.
He also announced scholarships and grants to hundreds of students from his constituency.
Credit: Premium Times
