Akwa Ibom State Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio, and former Petroleum Minister, Otuekong Don Etiebet, have verbal salvos over the former’s alleged call on youths in the state to take up arms against their elders.

Etiebet, a life member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), accused Akpabio of making the inciting statement during a church service. He said at a press conference in Uyo, the state capital: “On Sunday at a Church service in Uyo to mark the 27th anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Godswill Akpabio asked the youths of the state to rise against their elders.”

Etiebet lambasted Akpabio, describing his advice as “a call to arms and an incitement of the youths against the elders.” He rubbished Akpabio’s claim that some Akwa Ibom elders are always asking for the state allocations to be shared, challenging the governor to disclose the elders allegedly making such demands on him. He also accused Akpabio of dictatorship and profligacy.

Akpabio has, however, taken exception to Etiebet’s comments, describing them as “outright falsehood and misplaced thought.”

His Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, told newsmen yesterday in Uyo that the claim by Etiebet “is to say the least preposterous, spurious and an attempt by Etiebet to act out a written script by the opposition in the state to set the youths of the state, who been so supportive of his administration, against the governor.”

Umanah added: “I wonder how a message by the governor admonishing the youths to take their destiny in their hands by ensuring that they show more than a passing interest in the affairs of the state, could be twisted by Etiebet and his co-travelers to mean instigating the youths against the elders.”

On the allegation of profligacy against the governor, Umanah said: “It baffles every right-thinking person on why those who seven years ago sang the praise of the governor for his uncommon infrastructural renaissance and prudent management of the state resources, but have today, eaten their words because of succession and selfish politics.”

•Photo shows Etiebet.