Anietie Usen
Etoro-Obong Inyang, a prominent journalist and activist in Akwa Ibom State, momentarily suspended his unflinching loyalty to one of the opposition political parties in the state and went public a few days ago to salute Governor Umo Eno for “tickling” the State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and keeping his promises to the council.
“Promise made, promise kept…His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, deserves a big thank you from the Akwa Ibom State Council of NUJ”, Inyang said in his Facebook post, January 21, 2025.
Another well-known journalist who describes himself as a ‘crack reporter’, Imo Etimudo, also publicly described the Governor as “the toast of the newsroom.” Said Etimudo: “This is the story of the good governance in Akwa Ibom State where a good man has refused to separate his good nature from politics and (declined) to be spoiled by the spoils of office.”
Many agree that the graphic picture of Eno painted in words by various journalists like Inyang and Etimudo are apt, appropriate and proper. The encomiums are not for nothing. A few days ago, Eno assigned a competent contractor to complete the construction of the multi-million naira NUJ auditorium in Akwa Ibom State which was started 20 years ago. On top of that, the Governor doubled down on his respect for journalists by donating a brand new 2024 model of an SUV vehicle to the Chairman of the NUJ and 11 brand new saloon vehicles to the 11 other executive members of the same council.
According to Comrade Amos Etuk, Chairman of the NUJ in Akwa Ibom State, Eno is the first Akwa Ibom Governor to attend an NUJ event in 10 years and the first Governor ever to attend the annual NUJ thanksgiving service since it was inaugurated 12 years ago.
Other credits given to the Governor by the NUJ include regular interaction with the media, regular support for programmes of the union, steady support for the welfare and capacity building of journalists, integration of the NUJ, Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, into the bottom-up approach to governance.
“For the very first time in Akwa Ibom State and perhaps Nigeria, the leadership of the NUJ has been invited severally to attend not just the State Executive Council retreats but other major high-level conferences and dialogues aimed at fine-tuning the engine of governance in the state in order to better the well-being of our people. Because of this inclusive leadership style, the NUJ was also invited by Governor Eno to make contributions to his socio-political and economic blueprint known as ARISE Agenda. These are rare feats that are difficult to find elsewhere,” Etuk said.
On their part, the Akwa Ibom Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, describes Eno as a “fatherly and labour-friendly leader”. In a press statement, last month, dated December 3, 2025, and signed by the Chairman of the NLC in Akwa Ibom State, Comrade Sunny James, the NLC said: “The organised labour appreciates the fatherly commitment and love of Governor Umo Eno for his timely conclusion of the minimum wage agreement and other welfare packages to the workers of the state. It is hoped that the workers will reciprocate this kind gesture by improving on their productivity and service delivery to the state.”
Besides the minimum wage approval of N80,000, one of the highest in Nigeria, backdated to November 2024 by the Governor, the “other welfare packages” mentioned by the NLC leader are myriads and frequent. In the words of Elder Effiong Essien, a geologist and Head of Service of Akwa Ibom State, “Akwa Ibom workers have never had it so good.”
Essien should know because he joined the state civil service way back in 1988 as a staff member of the Ministry of Works.
“I would say that last year (2024) was a peculiar year for the workers of Akwa Ibom State, a year of huge successes and benefits from the administration of Pastor Umo Eno. I would not be wrong to say that the civil service workers in the state benefited most from the ARISE agenda of His Excellency, Governor Umo Bassey Eno.”
Those benefits included the minimum wage of N80,000, one of the highest in the country, with three months arrears; brand new SUVs for all permanent secretaries; payment of backlog of gratuities to the tune of 47 billion Naira to retired workers, thereby halving the 90 billion Naira debts that he inherited; consistent payments of pensions and other benefits to the retirees; activation of the National Health Insurance Scheme, NHIS, and the payment of premium for more than 9,000 junior workers in the health scheme.
Said the Head of Service rhetorically: ”How can Akwa Ibom workers ever forget the novel idea of the 13th month salary that we now call Enomber, introduced by Governor Eno two Decembers ago and the 150 housing units that he donated to Grade 01 to 08 workers in the state public service when those poor workers were suddenly turned into proud owners of beautiful houses…I personally feel so proud and happy that the Governor has made all these to happen in my time as the Head of Civil Service…”
Many observers have noted that the honeymoon between Akwa Ibom people and their pastor-Governor has lasted unusually for too long. But many Akwa Ibom people tend to indicate that the honeymoon has barely just begun.
John Henry, a movie director/producer and member, Directors’ Guild of Nigeria, DGN, had this to say: “I love this my Governor… God loves my state so much by giving us such a kind-hearted man…”
Annbright Akpan, a self-employed graduate of Akwa Ibom Polytechnic, Ikot Osurua, was nearly emotional in her appreciation of the Governor. “Da, this man is too good. God bless you my Governor…You are a very good man. I love you my Governor,” she said.
For Comrade Samuel Udoakah, a computer-aided design operator and trade unionist, it boiled down to one fact. “Akwa Ibom State is in safe hands,” Udoaka said.
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