Apparently incensed by the planned defection of Senator Godswill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has sacked two commissioners loyal to his predecessor in office.
The Commissioners are for Labour, Productivity and Manpower Development, Mr Ibanga Akpabio, and Culture and Tourism, Mr. Victor Antai.
They were sacked with immediate effect, for what was called “act of disloyalty”.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Charles Udoh, said the two commissioners had to be removed from the State Executive Council for disloyalty to the governor.
Ibanga, a younger brother of Senator Akpabio, was sacked alongside Antai for receiving Akpabio at the Ibom International Airport on Tuesday.
Akpabio flew into the State preparatory to his plan to defect from the PDP to the APC.
Udoh said the commissioners had to be removed from the state executive council following their “reluctance to comply with good governance processes.’’
“With the development, they have been mandated to hand over to the Permanent Secretary in their respective ministries before the close of work on Wednesday, August 8,’’ he said.
The commissioner stressed that the duo showed complete disloyalty to Governor Emmanuel, and therefore could not continue to remain in the State Executive.
Akpabio had on Tuesday tendered his resignation as the Senate Minority Leader and was scheduled to formally defect to All Progressives Congress on Wednesday.
