Gov Eno Prohibits Indiscriminate Issuance Of Press Statements 

By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
Owing to the spate of indiscriminate issuance of press statements by government appointees in the State, the Akwa Ibom governor has prohibited such act, vesting the power to issuance of press statements on the commissioner for information, the chief press secretary to the governor, and except by express permission of the secretary to the state government. 
   Pastor Umo Eno, who announced this during last Sunday worship service at the Uyo Archdiocesan Headquarters of Methodist Church Nigeria, Itiam Etoi, Uyo, frowned at the practice of issuing press statements by government appointees without permission, saying, going forward, issuance of incessant press statements by unauthorised persons are prohibited.
Eno said no appointee of government has the right to issue any press statements without a clearance from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, while the right of issuance rests on the commissioner for information and the chief press secretary to the governor. 
He spoke against the use of government to placard issues rather than allowing decency and decorum in the State to continue and to grow.
Eno noted that when stones are thrown by those living in glass houses, and the acts are retaliated by others, it will end in glasses of their houses being broken, charging government officials to maintain the decorum his administration stands for, by discharging their responsibilities devoid of chaos and actions that could be inimical to the prevalent peace and harmony in the State.
   The governor noted that he is not building a war cabinet, but a delivery team to interpret his dreams and continue to build bridges across the various fabrics of the State, urging them to emulate the disposition of Joseph as a member of the Egyptian cabinet.
    “No appointee of government has the right to release any press statement without a clearance from the Office of the Secretary to Government. There are only two people that have the right to release press statements on behalf of the government of Akwa Ibom State, the commissioner for information and the chief press secretary to the governor, nobody else, please.
“Anything you do, going forward, I will take it that it is deliberate and I will react. I am saying this in the altar. Let me be in charge of this government and let me be the governor that you elected. Anybody who issues a press statement again without authorisation, under anything, for whatever purpose, don’t even defend me. Let God be my defence, I will fire you.
“Don’t use this government to placard anything please. Let us allow the decency and the decorum in this State to continue and to grow. When you throw stones living in a glass house, and people begin to throw those stones back at you, they will break all your glasses. We can work together and continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. We  were not called to fight. We are called to deliver on the promises of the ARISE Agenda.
“I have not set up a war cabinet, but I’ve set up a delivery team to ensure that we get things done. We all enjoy the peace we have in this state, let’s do all we can to maintain it”.
The governor lauded the organisation of the Methodist Church, Uyo Archdiocesan headquarters and the message on peace and harmony delivered by the preacher, saying that his worship in the Church was inspired by God. 
Eno reassured of his commitment to continuously support the Akwa Ibom church community.
Preaching on the theme, “Forgiveness”, with text taken from Genesis 45:3-5, the Methodist Archbishop of Uyo, Rt. Rev. John Ene Koko-Bassey, recalled Joseph’s encounter with his brothers who sold him into captivity in Egypt as recorded in the scriptures, and implored Christians to emulate Joseph’s disposition in the face of offenses, while also cultivating the virtue of forgiveness.
Koko-Bassey, who acknowledged the godly and forgiving disposition of the governor in the State, urged Christians, politicians and the entire people of the State to see his reign as one sent by God to unite the State, and emulate his disposition.
The clergyman called on all to join Eno in uniting the Church community in the State, describing unforgiveness as the devil’s tool for propagating bitterness of the soul, divisiveness and a hindrance to progress.