For genuine contractors who bought forms and applied for the 210 project jobs available on offer at the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB), they may have wasted their time and money.
Information at our disposal confirms this: Governor Udom Emmanuel – 50; Martha Udom – 20; Unoma Akpabio – 20; Deputy Governor – 5; AKHA Speaker – 5; Senators – 1 each; House of Rep. – 1 each; Commissioners – 1 each, and House of Assembly members – 1 each.
According to a reliable source at SUBEB, it is still business as usual as all the jobs have been shared to the Governor and other political cronies.
The Governor is to take 50 jobs; his wife, Martha and wife of the immediate past Governor, Mrs. Ekaete Unoma Akpabio, will take 20 of the jobs each; the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Onofiok Luke, will take five of the jobs each. The three Senators, that is Godswill Akpabio, Nelson Efiong and Bassey Albert, are to get one each; the 10 House of Representatives’ members will take one each, while all the Commissioners and House of Assembly members are to also get one each.
Political observers are questioning the rationale behind this. According to one Mr. Udeme Ekpo, “we thought the Governor was a man of integrity. How come he is behaving like others? Did he not say he will do things they do in the corporate world? Is that how it is done there? We are so disappointed in him.”
But in a swift reaction, an aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel who does not want his name in print sees nothing wrong in the process.
According to him, “those allocations are not to the Governor or those they listed for you. They are for contractors who have paid for, got their forms and are certified qualified for the job. If they need the Governor’s recommendation for 50 of them, they are not asking for names from the forest. It is from those they have. It is not also the Governor’s business to share jobs. It is SUBEB’s business. Please count the Governor out.”
BUSINESS AS USUAL, AS GOV UDOM SHARES 210 SUBEB JOBS
