Governor Umo Eno Denies Spending N18bn on ‘Happy Hour’

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has dismissed claims that his administration budgeted or spent N18 billion on what has been described as a “happy hour” program.

The governor, while speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Friday, clarified that his remark about “happy hour” was misinterpreted.

“My ‘happy hour’ statement was completely taken out of context. Happy Hour for me is finding time to relax after working hard,” he said. “I didn’t say it was a time for everybody to get drunk or that it would be a state-sponsored moment.”

Eno explained that the phrase simply meant celebrating milestones and achievements, whether personal or communal. “Anytime you have an achievement and you celebrate, that’s happy hour. You have happy hour in church and everywhere,” he added.

The governor stressed that no such amount was allocated in the state’s budget, insisting that governance remains his administration’s top priority.