The Akwa Ibom State government has described as untrue, the claim that it has unduly patronised Zenith Bank since Governor Udom Emmanuel took over office.
The government said the report written by one Edet Eyo Bassey was fraught with lies.
The government, in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant, Media/Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ekerete Udoh, said the government had equally patronized other financial institutions in its transactions.
The statement reads: “The truth is that Zenith Bank, one of the shining lights in Nigeria’s financial services industry, has not been unduly patronized by the Administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel; other financial institutions have equally enjoyed great patronage by the Administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel, and the facts are there for any dispassionate person to see.
“For three years now, the opposition has pushed the narrative that since Governor Udom Emmanuel came from the financial services sector and had risen to the position of an Executive Director with Zenith Bank, that he would subsequently be more open to doing business with the bank than other banks. Quite a twisted and bewildering logic you will agree with me!
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“But there is something these naysayers don’t seem to know about Governor Udom Emmanuel: He is a man of due process, an epitome of transparency, Christian fortitude and masculinity, a man who abhors any trace of opaque strands in his dealings with either institutions of government or the private sector. He believes in providing equal opportunity for people and institutions to thrive.”
The government said it was the good qualities of the governor that made “the premier mouthpiece of the APC-led Federal Government- the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)” to honour him with the National Integrity and Service Award early this year.
It called on the opposition elements in Akwa Ibom State to stop the campaign of calumny against Udom Emmanuel, as it would not lead them to anywhere.
