Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel has hit back at those who called his government an extension of the previous government of Godswill Apkabio.

The opposition All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State has consistently dubbed Governor Emmanuel’s administration as a continuation of the immediate past administration of Godswill Akpabio.

In a radio broadcast to the people of the state, Governor Emmanuel said on Sunday, November 29 that: “Those who oppose my administration have claimed that we are an appendage of the last administration.in a radio broadcast to the people of the state.

“That is not true. We are an improvement on the last administration,” he said.

Governor Emmanuel employed the use of the analogy of the exodus of the children of Israel, stating that governor Akpabio took the people of the state out of Egypt to the Jordan River and his administration is taking the people across the river into the promised land.

“To be fair to the last administration, it initiated programs which increased our self-esteem as a people and earned us respect.

“We have leveraged on this and we have taken our people to new heights of superior performance,” he said.

While he noted that no government was perfect, the governor reflected that it was sad commentary on the state politics that elements who were an active part of Akpabio’s administration for seven out of its eight years, would turncoat and speak evil if it.

“They claim that the administration was wasteful, irresponsible, corrupt etc. and this sounds like cutting your nose in order to spite your face,” Mr. Emmanuel said.

The radio broadcast was to commemorate Governor Emmanuel’s six months in office as the governor of Akwa Ibom State.

He also said that he was not afraid of a re-run election in the wake of the annulment of the April governorship election in 18 out of 31 local government areas by the election tribunal.

He continued that: “Those who sought to truncate God’s mandate have grown weaker”, apparently throwing subliminal shots at the opposition party, APC.

He called himself: “The custodian of the hopes, aspirations and dreams of this generation of Akwa Ibomites” and related that he was in control of the state.

The governor also revealed that while he was concerned about the dreams of the Akwa Ibom people, the people in opposition were only chasing selfish interests, saying that’s the difference between them.

“As we move forward, let mischief, hatred and divisive tendencies be replaced by unity, love, and good neighborliness,” the governor said.

“We owe this to our children, not to build a society where mutual suspicion are worn like badges of honour, but to build a state where oneness of spirit binds us in a symphony of love and oneness of spirit.”