Senator Akpabio's wife never caused any security breach during Mrs Buhari's visit
The
attention of the Senator Representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial
District, Senator Godswill Akpabio and his wife has been drawn to a
story making the rounds in the media purporting that his wife, Mrs
Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio caused a security breach at the airport
during the visit of the wife of the President and First Lady of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari to Akwa Ibom
State on Friday, December 14, 2018.
The story
obviously syndicated by the Akwa Ibom State Government House is a
serious indictment to the practice of Journalism in Akwa Ibom State.
Even though they carry different bylines, it is obviously from the same
source, using the same language and quotations, evidently a hatchet
job.
However, we want to state categorically
that the story sold to different newspapers is a piece of fake news
clearly marketed to malign the integrity of the former First Lady of
Akwa Ibom State, Mrs Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio and surprisingly,
even otherwise respected media houses fell for it.
Interestingly,
the video of the airport scene to receive the visiting First Lady, Mrs
Aisha Buhari is available and has been widely circulated online. Nowhere
is Senator Akpabio or the wife, Unoma at the scene even from the
doctored video circulated by Akwa Ibom State Government House, complete
with an interview by Mrs Martha Udom Emmanuel.
The
truth is no one stopped the wife of the Governor from receiving the
First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mrs Akpabio having been
the First Lady in Akwa Ibom State for eight years (2007 to 2015) clearly
understands the protocol that goes with such an event. She strongly
believes in government and giving due respect to constituted
authorities.
The unnecessary fracas at the
airport was caused by the overzealousness of securitymen attached to
Akwa Ibom State Government House who engaged in loud arguments with the
Protocol and Security Officers from the State House, Abuja.
They
had come with a premeditated notion that the chieftains of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) who were also at the airport to receive Mrs
Buhari, were going to prevent the wife of the Governor from getting
close to the President's wife. But it turned out to be a melodrama as no
one prevented Mrs Emmanuel from receiving the First Lady.
However,
with the benefit of hindsight we understand that the frustration of the
Akwa Ibom State Government may have stemmed from the stout refusal of
the State House Protocol Officers to include a trip to the Government
House, Uyo in Mrs Buhari's itinerary after an elaborate preparation had
been made for her reception, including laying of red carpets.
Having
failed in hijacking the First Lady, they found a comfortable scapegoat
in Mrs Akpabio. It bears repeating that Senator Akpabio's wife never
caused any security breach at the airport. Purveyors of the fabricated
story should desist from further dragging the name of an innocent woman
in the mud, just to score cheap political points.
Anietie Ekong
Special Assistant (Media) to
Senator Godswill Akpabio.
December 15, 2018.
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