Akwa Ibom State Governor Pastor Umo Eno has appointed eight new permanent secretaries for the state civil service.

The appointments were announced by the Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong E. Essien, in a statement issued on October 10th.

The newly appointed permanent secretaries are:

• Roseline A. Mfon
• Okon Effiong Tom
• Bassey James Ekanem
• Rosemary Aniekan Ubia
• Rita Sunday Akpan-Essien
• Aniekan Ubong Akpan
• Eno Ime Akpan
• Doris Tom Ikpuho

The swearing-in ceremony for the new permanent secretaries will take place on Monday, October 14th, at 4 pm in the Exco Chamber, Government House, Uyo.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has praised Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno for the outcome of the recent local government elections in the state.

Despite the controversy surrounding the elections, particularly in Akpabio’s home LGA, the Senate President commended the governor for ensuring fairness and allowing the APC candidate’s victory to stand.

Akpabio acknowledged that the elections were not perfect but expressed gratitude to Governor Eno for his commitment to improving the election process. He emphasized the need to reposition the local government system and ensure that local government elections are free from party dominance.

The Senate President also praised the Supreme Court’s ruling that local government funds should go directly to the councils and called on the National Assembly to take steps to implement this decision.

Reflecting on his own experience as governor of Akwa Ibom, Akpabio shared how he conducted credible local government elections during his tenure, even in the face of opposition. His comments were supported by other senators, including Senator Abba Moro, who initiated the discussion on local government elections during the Senate session.

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed a bill to amend the local government administration law, aiming to improve the management and operation of the third-tier system.

The amendments were prompted by the recent creation of additional wards by the State Independent Electoral Commission.

The bill, presented by Rt. Hon. Mfon Idung, chairman of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, proposes changes to sections 49 and 52 of the law. Section 49 would allow the Chairman to appoint Supervisors from outside the legislative council to head departments, while section 52 would increase the number of Advisers.

The amendments were supported by other members of the House, who noted that they would promote harmony, ensure smooth administration, and create more opportunities for appointments in the local government system.

The bill was passed after being considered and adopted by the Committee of the Whole and subsequently read for the third time. The speaker directed the clerk of the Assembly to communicate the amended bill to the executive for further action.