Akwa Ibom: Why Gov Eno Redeployed Most Powerful Commissioner, Revoked Lands Allocations
From Emmanuel BASSEY
Fresh facts have emerged on why Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, sacked his adviser on land matters, redeployed the commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, and revoked all lands allocated to corporate organisations and individuals since he assumed office in 2023.
THE BEAGLE NEWS investigations showed that the affected officers have been engaging in some illegal allocations and other shoddy deals.
Sources close to the ministry revealed that the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Iniobong Ekong, and the Senior Special Assistant on Land Matters, Udeme Isa, were illegally allocating lands indiscriminately and making brisk business from land deals.
According to the source, the two appointees became Lords of Manor and allocated lands to their friends, political and business associates and family members without recourse to the Governor approval.
The source further hinted that the duo had become so powerful in land matters that people had to petition the Governor drawing his attention to the land deals going on in the ministry.
And on getting wind of the development, Eno quickly acted by taking such drastic action to restore sanity in land administration in the state.
However, the Governor’s decision is contained in three separate statements issued by two top government officials on Monday, 25 August.
In one of the statements, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, announced the revocation of all land allocations in the state from 29 May 2023 to date, stating lands acquired by the state government.
The statement read in part: “Over this period of transition, all fresh allocations of government lands and transactions on government land stand suspended for a period of one month, during which period the Directorate of Lands shall be shut.
"The revalidation would last for two months, and would be done by the Geographic and Information System Office."
In another statemt signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Enobong Uwah, Gov.Eno announces a cabinet reshuffle – swapping the Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Iniobong Ekong, with the Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Ubong Inyang.
“This minor reshuffle takes immediate effect,” Mr Uwah said, adding in another statement, that Mr Eno has sacked his Senior Special Assistant on Land Matters, Udeme Isa.
Mr Ekong has been in government since Governors Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel administrations.
He has served as security adviser to former Governors Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel.
Later Governor Emmanuel appointed him as the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources. He replaced Mr Eno, who resigned to contest the 2023 governorship election under the PDP.
After becoming governor, Mr Eno retained Mr Ekong as the commissioner in the ministry until his redeployment on August 25 2025.
Ekong, a retired captain in the Nigerian Army, hails from the same Nsit Ubiumocal government area with Governor Eno.
He is one of the oldest serving appointees in Akwa Ibom state.
