Uyo Resident Lambast State Governor For Taking Pic With Accident Victim

Embattled outgoing Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel on Sunday incurred the wrath of Nnug Udoe residence when he stopped his convoy on the expressway to take pictures with the corpse of a Unclad dead man who died on Saturday after being knocked down by a vehicle on Saturday and ordered his press crew to post same to the media as if he was attending to a helpless accident victim who was in desperate need of urgent medical attention.

The Governor was alleged to be driving along the Uyo - Nnug Udoe expressway when suddenly his first two vehicle on the convoy narrowly missed running over the dead body of a mad man on the highway who died on Saturday. The convoy suddenly stopped on

the orders of Udom upon seeing the dead corpse. He then directed his medical team to attend to the corpse and create the false impression that he is a kind, compassionate leader who is sympathetic to the plight of the victim. His request did not go down well with officials of the Government House Clinic who were on the entourage but due to the pressure from the Governor, a medical doctor and a nurse whose names could not be ascertained were seen wearing gloves and torching the corpse while the Governor ordered his media team who were watching in shock and disbelief from their Government House Press Bus some meters away to hurriedly come down from the vehicle and take pictures of him with the mad man's corpse. The pictures were later posted but the Akwa Ibom Government House Press Corps with a narrative that the Governor who values the life of every citizen stopped by to attend to an accident victim.

A residence of the area who refused to give his name berated the Governor over the incidence saying there are more civilized ways he should portray himself to the people, rather than on actions that brings shame and dishonour to the office and Akwa Ibom people.

He submitted that it would have been more honourable and pardonable if the Governor had stopped to order that the dead man's corpse be removed from the highway by the Ministry of Environment and properly buried since the decomposing body posed a serious health risk to both road users and residence of the area rather than take silly photographs with the corpse and order his media team to post same as if he was assisting an accident victim, wondering what exactly he wants to achieve with such dirty and false propaganda.

But an aide of the Governor who spoke on condition of anonymity debunked the claim that the many gaffes of the Governor is as a result of lack of professional advice from his aides. The aide who hails from Eket senatorial district with the Governor insists that all aides as well as security officials of the Governor are doing their best in offering advice that ordinarily would have saved the administration from the many embarrassing situation it finds itself but regretted that the Governor listens to no one anymore.

He lamented that though he (Udom) was previously disposed to advice from those around him, the situation got worse since December 18,2015 when his election was nullified by the Court of Appeal. Efforts to speak with the Chief Pressure Secretary to the Governor on the matter was unsuccessful. The Media Aide to the Governor on Local Media, Mr. Uko Umoh also declined to speak when asked to comment on the matter, saying he will not comment on it as he was not with the Governor's convoy as at the time of the incidence.