A’IBOM LANDS-GATE: Eno Wields The Big Axe, Deploys Commissioner, Revokes All Land Allocations
Sunny Edemenang – Uyo
With the toppling of Lands and Town Planning Commissioner, Capt. Iniobong Ekong Rtd, and subsequent redeployment to the Ministry of Trades and Investment as commissioner with immediate effect, Governor Umo Eno PhD of Akwa Ibom State has been seen to wield the big axe against what is generally considered as a decicive move to sanitize his administration of sharp practices.
In the same vein, a Senior Aide, SSA on Lands, ESV Enobong Isa was made a scapegoat and ignominiously shown the way out by His Excellency’s orders to surrender all government property in his possession with immediate effect.
The argument in some quarters is that Capt. Iniobong Ekong Iniobong Ekong was only “toppled” with redeployment as a kinsman and not “ousted”, against the subordinate aide Isa who was made the scapegoat. “Fingers are crossed to see the final outcome of the revalidation”, said an aide in anonymity.
The swooping effect to sanitize the stench in the Lands Ministry, the governor has
ordered the revocation of all land allocations made between May 29, 2023, and August 25, 2025, including government-acquired lands. The total effect of the executive order has caught up with the Permanent Secretary who was uprooted to another ministry on the express directives of the governor.
In a statement issued by the Akwa Ibom State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Essien Udom, SAN, through the Ministry of Information, explained that the action is to enable the revalidation of all land allocations and migration to the new digital Akwa-GIS platform.
According to the statement, during this transition, “all fresh allocations and land transactions are suspended for one month during which period the Directorate of Land shall be shut, while the revalidation exercise will last two months, to be conducted by the GIS office in the Ministry of Lands and Town Planning”.
“The government warned that any land allocation or interest not revalidated within this period will be declared invalid”
The governor in another bend
On September 1, 2025, disbanded the Governing Board of the Ethical and Attitudinal Reorientation Commission of Akwa Ibom State, EARCOM.
These recent developments represent the shadow of what is to come under the golden watch of His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno PhD. By his leadership initiative and standard brought into governance, it is no longer business as usual for public office holders with diminishing returns who have overstayed their usefulness under the Hope ARISE Agenda.
