Emmanuel Nicholas
The attention of well-meaning Akwa Ibomites has been drawn to a puerile, ill-conceived, and factually destitute press release issued on 3rd May, 2026, by an entity parading as “PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice (PAPA-J)”, signed by one Dr. Tom FredFish and one blinded Saviour Uko.
I categorically condemn this document as a complete falsehood, authored by individuals whose mental faculties have been irredeemably corroded by unbridled hatred for His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno.
PAPA-J’s press release is not advocacy; it is calculated mischief masquerading as statesmanship. It is the product of selective amnesia and political bitterness, designed to sow discord between Governor Umo Eno and his political benefactor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, and to distort incontrovertible history.
His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, is an exceedingly distinguished international business magnate and consummate global banker of preeminent repute, who has assiduously negotiated financial equity on behalf of innumerable multinational conglomerates.
During his gubernatorial stewardship, he solemnly pledged to the distinguished citizenry of Akwa Ibom State that he would, upon the consummation of his tenure, return to his vast international business empire and will not interfere in the running of the administration of his successor.
And he has completely adheres to that decision.
By what empirical verification does PAPA-J ascertain that Deacon Udom Emmanuel was not extended an invitation? Is PAPA-J privy to the transcontinental whereabouts of this international financial savant, or cognizant of whether he was physically domiciled within the territorial confines of Nigeria at that epochal moment?
Such propositions emanate from minds akin to those tragically consumed by the ravages of intellectual leprosy, wherein cognitive functionality has been irreparably distorted, rendering them incapable of orchestrating coherent comprehension or logical deduction.
His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, is an extraordinarily humble statesman of impeccable character, who profoundly respects and inestimably treasures his fraternal relationship with his political benefactor, as well as with all other distinguished elder statesmen of Akwa Ibom State, and possesses neither the disposition nor the temerity to ever deliberately disregard or dishonour any one of them.
THE TRUTH ABOUT VICTOR ATTAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Let us educate these merchants of falsehood with facts that are clear, verifiable, and documented:
Victor Attah International Airport is not the product of one man. It is the collective legacy of four visionary leaders of Akwa Ibom State, built across successive administrations:
1. Obong Victor Attah, CON , the progenitor who gave birth to the audacious vision and commenced construction of what was conceived as an International Cargo Airport.
2. Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON , who, with uncommon political will, completed the first phase: the 3.6km runway and the domestic terminal building. He made the airport functional.
3. His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel (CON), who commenced the second phase, initiated construction of the international terminal building and taxiway, completed the MRO facility, and had the foresight to establish Ibom Air. These were monumental contributions.
4. His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno PhD , who inherited an international terminal at about 80 percent completion with no equipment installed. He invested billions of naira of taxpayers’ money to equip the terminal, completed critical sections, procured all required navigational aids, security apparatus, health facilities, lighting, ground handling equipment, and secured every certification demanded by the NCAA and other regulatory institutions.
Without these, no international flight could operate. It is Governor Umo Eno who moved the airport from “international by nomenclature” to “international by certification and operation.”
To therefore demand that Governor Umo Eno must mention or invite only Udom Emmanuel, while deliberately omitting Obong Victor Attah, who conceived it, and Senator Godswill Akpabio, who built the runway and the domestic terminal, exposes PAPA-J as hypocrites of the highest order who are pursuing an evil agenda to cause discord.
POSER TO PAPA-J
If Governor Umo Eno must be condemned for not “inviting” or “mentioning” Udom Emmanuel at the inaugural international flight, why has PAPA-J not condemned him for not inviting Obong Victor Attah, whose name the airport bears, or Senator Godswill Akpabio, who built the runway every aircraft lands on and the domestic terminal?
Is your outrage selective? Is your “justice” driven by hatred for Umo Eno alone? Your duplicity is shameful.
Governor Umo Eno has never denied the contributions of his predecessors. He has consistently spoken of “standing on the shoulders of giants.” But the certification and operationalization of the airport as a full international gateway happened under his watch, after he finished what was left undone. That is historical accuracy, not political appropriation.
PAPA-J should bury its head in shame. Good governance is not about pandering to the egos of yesterday’s men. It is about completing projects, delivering results, and moving the state forward. Governor Umo Eno has done just that.
ADVICE TO DR. TOM FREDFISH-PAPAJ
Dr. Tom FredFish, it is high time you purged yourself of these evil machinations, blackmail, and politically motivated vendettas. Desist from weaponizing falsehood to malign a performing governor.
The energy you expend on sowing discord would be better channeled toward constructive engagement for the development of Akwa Ibom State.
I advise you and your co-travelers to seek deliverance from the spirit of bitterness. Akwa Ibom’s progress is indeed built on collective effort, and Governor Umo Eno is honouring that collective effort by completing projects, not by giving empty speeches.
The truth has prevailed: Victor Attah International Airport is now fully international. That is Governor Umo Eno’s legacy, built on the foundation of three great leaders. No amount of venomous press releases can rewrite that fact.
Tom FredFish of PAPA-J has debased himself into nothing more than the proprietor of a blackmail mill, churning out mendacious press releases with the mechanical regularity of a factory conveyor belt , devoid of intellect, bankrupt of integrity, and driven solely by a corrosive bitterness that has long since eclipsed any semblance of reason.
His self-appointed role as chairman of this sanctimonious tandem is a masterclass in hypocrisy: masquerading as an advocate for peace and justice while retailing in calumny, selective outrage, and venomous distortions.
A man who weaponizes falsehood as statecraft and blackmail as policy has forfeited the moral authority to speak on governance, and history will record him not as a prudent man , but as a footnote in the ignoble annals of political mercenaries who erroneously traded truth for mischief.
Newspot Nigeria.
