Shocking: I Struggled For Food, Ate From Dustbins – Governor Akpabio

Premium Times provides the clip initially published on thinkakwaibom.blogspot.com. It contains Akpabio’s speech in Eket during the inauguration of a hotel, Sonak, belonging to his brother Isong.

It can be ascertained that the occasion took place early in the governor’s first term in office, based on his remarks.

“I was on the street, struggling with other people to eat, sometimes from the dustbins.

“I knew that (my brother, Isong Akpabio) having worked in Mobil for a long time and Mobil provided the food, the car and everything for him.”

It should be noted that Isong also contested in 2006 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  for the governorship ticket.

“I felt I knew the people’s problem more than him (Isong Akpabio) that was why I told him wait for me, let me go first as governor.

“Yes, I knew the problems of the people. One of the major problems was that even your state capital did not look like a state capital. Another problem was that people were using your children as house-boys and house-helps. The third problem was that when you mentioned your name ‘Ekaette’, people looked down on you.

“So, we worked on those three things; your state capital is now the cynosure of all eyes, your children are now enjoying free and compulsory education, and now when you say you are from Akwa Ibom, people say, ‘oh, welcome and have a seat.”

Probably speaking about the hotel commissioning, governor Akpabio continued:

“Now, after 2015, you can contest (as governor). They will vote for you, after seeing what you’ve done here.”

He also boasted that after the end of his tenure the state would be divided into two eras: “before Akpabio and after Akpabio”. The governor also promised to build a Sheraton hotel and remodel Eket.

Governor Akpabio is yet to commissioned these projects with his tenure expiring in about 3months