“₦1m Is Serious Money, Not A Stipend”- Gov. Umo Eno Warns Aides

• Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State criticized political aides for misrepresenting their salaries and welfare.
• The remarks were made during a Town Square Meeting in Ikono and Ini Federal Constituency.
• Eno revealed that Personal Assistants (PAs), the lowest-paid political appointees, earn a minimum of one million naira monthly.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has scolded some of his political aides for downplaying their salaries and deceiving the public about their welfare.

The governor made this known during a Town Square Meeting with the people of Ikono and Ini Federal Constituency at Ibiaku Ntok Okpo. He disclosed that his Personal Assistants (PAs), who are the lowest-paid political appointees, receive not less than one million naira monthly.

Governor Eno revealed this while promoting his PA on Protocol, Blessed Essien, to Special Assistant (SA) on Public Works. Essien had personally funded and donated a borehole with water reticulation for his community.

“As I arrived here, they gave me one brochure by a PA who, out of the token he gets, has gone to his community to do a borehole and has reticulated it around the village. One man has done this, but some of them with political appointments are still lying to their people that the governor has done nothing,” Eno said.

He continued: “Hear me well, no PA earns less than a million naira. And when they want to talk, they will say it is a stipend. You call N1m stipend? N1m is not a stipend to me, it is serious money.”

The governor further directed the Secretary to the State Government to compile and publish the names of all political appointees according to their local government areas, so that citizens can hold them accountable.

He urged residents to challenge their representatives at all levels — PAs, SAs, SSAs, and Commissioners to show what they have done for their communities.

Governor Eno then officially elevated Essien, praising him as an example of responsible leadership: “Today, you are being promoted from PA to SA (to the Governor) on Public Works.”