- Governors of Kogi and Akwa Ibom state are trading words over the ongoing recall process of Senator Dino Melaye
- Akwa Ibom state governor had praised the Kogi west senator describing him as a ‘general'
- The Kogi state government described the statement as disturbing and appalling
Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom state was on Monday, July 11, attacked by the Kogi state government, over his comments on the ongoing recall process of Senator Dino Melaye.
Last week, Governor Emmanuel had praised Melaye as a ‘general’ in the Senate who has performed so well and wondered why his constituents wanted to recall such a performing senator.
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NAIJ.com gathered that Kingsley Fanwo, the director-general, media and publicity to the Kogi governor, said the decision of Governor Emmanul to refer to Melaye as a “general” in the Senate was disturbing as he was rating a “non performing” senator over and above those that were performing.
Fanwo in a statement said: “We believe that Governor Emmanuel’s unveiled disdain for a long-suffering people trudging the booby-trapped path to Recall of their Senator in a bid to recover their dignity is uncalled for.
“Governor Udom’s scathing rebuke for Kogi West people who are engaged in legal pursuit of their legitimate aspiration to terminate irresponsible representation goes against all democratic norms. It also does gratuitous violence to the customary esprit de corps which ordinarily ought to actuate the conduct of brother Governors and States towards one another in the Nigerian polity.
“What is even more appalling is Governor Udom Emmanuel’s decoration of Dino Melaye with the rank and privileges of ‘General’ among all the Distinguished Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while consigning others to ‘Recruit’. Dino Melaye is a General in the Senate of the 8th Assembly where even Governor Udom Emmanuel’s accomplished predecessor sits? This is unprecedented”.
The director-general, media and publicity to the governor, further said it was more disturbing that the Akwa Ibom governor spoke at an event where another senator was preforming his constitutional role as against Melaye.
“The Kogi West Senator attended his colleague’s Briefing and Constituency Empowerment event, not to learn how to represent well, but obviously as Comedian of the Day. He told false stories of unpaid salaries in his state. On cue he thrilled the crowd with his Aje Kun Iya Ni’Oje signature ballad and capered along with his usual inebriated gusto before preaching his false message of death being reward for both lying and telling the truth.
“He truly proved himself the ‘performing Senator’ Governor Udom Emmanuel called him that day. Governor Udom Emmanuel’s later remarks in praise of his guest was just the pepper Kogi people needed sprinkled on their wounds while people whose Senator actually knows his job carted their dividends of democracy home”.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the good people of Kogi West, having decided they have had enough of Senator Dino Melaye’s selfish brand of misrepresentation, and having undertaken to tread this slippery slope to self-respect have the support of not just all of us in Kogi State, but of all Nigerians of goodwill, including upstanding Akwa Ibomites. We therefore urge our brother, the still very much respected Governor of our brother State, Akwa Ibom, to show more sensitivity in his future utterances” he added.
NAIJ.com previously reported that Dino Melaye on Monday, July 10, served a restraining order on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Melaye in a tweet said the electoral body has been served an order restraining it from further action as ordered by the court.
Meanwhile, INEC has said it will continue with the process of recalling the senator as engineered by members of his constituency.
You can watch this NAIJ.com video of Kogi West Senatorial Disctrict in a move to recall Melaye: