The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno has clarified his ‘happy hour’ policy after it was tuned out of context, noting that government wasn’t trying to validate drinking spree for workers.
“I think it was taken completely out of context. Happy hour is, I believe, that if you work hard, you must find time occasionally to relax. Like today, I’ve been working since Sunday back-to-back till Friday.
“And I said today, I just want to relax. I want to go to the Arise Park, spend time, and look at what’s going on. That, for me, is my happy hour. That, for me, is my happy hour. Just time to refresh, to relax. And it wasn’t really meant to be time to go get drunk.”
The governor explained that celebration could take different forms and was not meant to be about alcohol alone. He dismissed claims that the state was funding such activities.
“Every time you have an achievement and you celebrate, that’s happy hour. You have happy hour in church. You have happy hour everywhere.”
Pastor Eno expressed great disbelief at rumors stating that his government is lavishing N18 billion on happy hour.
What kind of happy hour is that? I don’t know. I don’t have such subhead in my budget.”
He, however, agreed with the host who teased him as the “happy governor.”
“I am happy. And we all seem to be a happy state. We are happy people,” he said.
Eno’s clarification comes months after his “happy hour” campaign pledge sparked widespread debate during the 2023 governorship election.
