By Peter Dansu A local government councillor in Akwa Ibom State has come under fire after appointing 19 aides to his office — a move that ...
By Peter Dansu
A local government councillor in Akwa Ibom State has come under fire after appointing 19 aides to his office — a move that has drawn heavy criticism and sparked widespread outrage online.
Hon. Christopher Michael Udo, who represents Ikono Middle Ward 2, recently unveiled a long list of personal staff, including a Chief of Staff, a Personal Assistant on Logistics, a Head of Administration, a PA on Student Affairs, and even a Head of Security. The appointments, many argue, are excessive for a position widely seen as grassroots-level governance.
Nigerians on social media didn’t hold back, with many questioning the need for such an elaborate cabinet for a local councillor. Among the critics was Inibehe Effiong, a prominent Akwa Ibom-born human rights lawyer, who described the development as symptomatic of deeper political dysfunction in the state.
“Akwa Ibom is stuck in a cycle of bad governance,” Effiong said. “How do you justify a councillor needing 19 aides, including a Chief of Staff and multiple personal assistants? It’s another glaring example of prebendal politics at work.”
He went on to warn that when politics becomes the main engine of the economy, it often leads to stagnation and poor development outcomes — a pattern he says Akwa Ibom is struggling to break.
The incident has reignited national conversations about the structure and cost of governance at the local level, with growing calls for reform to promote accountability, cut waste, and refocus leadership on service delivery rather than political patronage.
Source: Nigerdelta Insider
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