#Akwa-Ibom > Governor Emmanuel’s Official Driver Is A Bonafide Policeman, Not An Impersonator – State Government

The Akwa Ibom State Government has denied reports that Governor Udom Emmanuel’s official driver Bassey Edet, is not a real policeman but an impostor.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, gave the clarification in a statement on Tuesday.

We reported yesterday that the Akwa Ibom State chapter of All Progressives Congress and Civil Liberties Organization in their separate reactions, condemned Gov. Emmanuel for allowing his driver impersonate a policeman.

But Umanah in the statement, insisted that Edet is a bonafide policeman and absolved him of allegations of impersonation.

The statement read, “Contrary to a false report that the official driver of Governor Emmanuel is not a policeman, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for information and Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah says Mr. Bassey Edet is a bonafide officer of the Force.

“Speaking in his office on the story in The Punch Newspaper of Monday, September 14, 2015 purporting that the driver is involved in police impersonation saga, Mr. Umanah said that Edet is a certified, trained spy policeman and therefore, cannot be said to be an impersonator.

“The Information boss said that Mr. Edet’s Police Force Identification Number is 1522, having attended Police Training School, Ikeja, Lagos State, and wondered how he could be accused of breaching any rules by wearing his uniform”.

The commissioner also dismissed as false, the allegation that Edet was defrauding financial institutions by taking multiple salaries, noting “that I have in good authority that the bank referred to in that false publication, like other international organisations, does not hire drivers, therefore, could not have had his name on its payroll”.