Eket Chapter Chairman Charges PDP Members to Defend Govt. Policies

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Eket Local Government Area have been told that it is one of their duties to defend and enlighten the people on the programmes and policies of the PDP-led government in the state.

They have also been charged to continue to be loyal to the party and support the actions of Gov. Udom Emmanuel, because they are in the best interest of the state and the people.

Giving the charge when Usoro Usoro, a former aide toObong Godswill Akpabio hosted the leadership of the party in his house in Eket, recently, the PDP Chairman in Eket Local Government, Mr. Emmanuel Mbong, said members should champion the cause of the party at all times.

”It is your duty as members of the party to always defend, support and enlighten the people on government programmes.

”Gov. Udom Emmanuel has mapped out so many lifetouching projects, which when completed, will help the people of the state,” Mr. Mbong said.

He charged the All Progressive Congress-led federal government to be serious and focus on delivering its campaign promises to Nigerians and explained that the meeting has no political undertone.

”The convener of this meeting told me that he called us to come and share ideas on how to rise to the defence of our great party, the PDP.

”We are here to reason together and see how we can project into the future. So, as you go back to your various units and wards, preach the gospel of Gov. Emmanuel and be good ambassadors of the party at all times,” the PDP chapter chairman said.

Earlier, in his remarks, Mr. Usoro, explained that the essence of the parley was to share ideas with the leadership of the party on issues that will promote the interest of PDP in the area.

He said that every government has a support base, recalling that Obong Victor Attah and Senator Godswill Akpabio, both former governors received tremendous support from their people during their tenure and wondered why Gov. Emmanuel’s case should be an exception to an established political practice in the state.

“By the grace of God and the wisdom of our party-the PDP, it was designed that a governor should come from Eket Senatorial District in the last elections and that has come to pass.

”The governor did not only emerge from Eket Senatorial District, but from Eket Federal Constituency, meaning that all of us must give him our support to succeed the same way his predecessors from Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts were supported by their people during their tenure,” the former aide to Akpabio said.

Usoro frowned at media attacks on the governor and wrong interpretation of every activity of government by the opposition All Progressive Party (APC) since the inception of Gov. Emmanuel’s administration, stressing that the trend does not portray the government in good light before the people.

While stressing that he was not against constructive criticism of government and its activities, he pointed out that unfounded and destructive attacks distract the leader and urged PDP members in Eket to take the lead in projecting the governor and his administration.

“I called this meeting because I am concerned. The PDP is the party that is in power in Akwa Ibom and cannot go to sleep and allow those in opposition parties, especially the APC to be sponsoring and disseminating falsehood and negative reports about the state government to the public.

”So, that was why I say we must rise up and do the little we can to redeem the image of the government.

“No government can concentrate when it is facing the barrage of negative criticisms Gov. Udom Emmanuel is currently facing. For the governor to concentrate, the party must rise up to his defence,” Usoro said.

While thanking PDP members for their support and contributions to the success of the party in the last general elections, Usoro charged them to rise up to the challenge of managing and sustaining the victories, emphasizing that if they go to sleep, the opposition might take advantage of the development and it will appear as if PDP is no more the ruling party in the state.

To him, the party should mobilize more members and respond to negative reports about the governor and his administration immediately they are published.

He noted that though some people are paid to manage the image of the government, the party should also support them to ensure the present government in the state is projected.

“What I am saying is that when the party sees some of the negative reports from the opposition, it should immediately respond it because some of these things are not hitting the governor alone, but also hitting and destroying the image of the party.

“We should not allow propaganda from the APC to flourish. The PDP is the platform the governor came to power and what that means is that image management is not a one-man thing, because it is a large area,” the former CPS said.

In addition, Usoro said PDP leaders and members can join in managing the image of the party government.

He assured them that the governor would make Eket Senatorial District proud at the end of his tenure, disclosing that they stand a greater chance of benefitting from the Gov. Emmanuel administration.

Prayers were offered for PDP to reclaim power at the centre in 2019 and the success of Gov. Udom Emmanuel’s administration.