By Chioma Onuegbu & Emmanuel Ayungbe

Uyo—CHIEF Press Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Governor,  Mr. Ekerete Udoh, has refuted claims by Forum of Former Aides to Governor Godswill Akpabio that Governor Udom Emmanuel had collected severance allowance and other entitlements for the 15 months he served as the Secretary to the State Government, SSG.

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State

Udoh, in a statement, weekend, in Uyo, also flayed the forum over allegations that the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political/Legislative Matters and Water Resource, Mr. Ekong Sampson, has been frustrating their effort to reach the governor for the payment of their entitlements.

Describing the forum’s claims in some national dailies and state-based newspapers as mischievous, false and misleading,  Udoh disclosed that Governor Emmanuel being a compassionate, thoughtful, and transparent leader, had already set in motion the mechanism to address the issue as those affected had been briefed.

His words: “We think it is mischievous for these few former aides to conflate their issue with how former governors and other higher level appointees are treated when their tenure ends or they resign for one reason or another.

“We wish to state here that it is the height of deceit and affront for the writers of the communiqué to assert that certain categories of former appointees have since received their severance payment including Governor Emmanuel.”

“It is worthy to note that many of the former aides who served under the immediate past governor have been reappointed into various positions of responsibility by Governor Emmanuel.”