Nigeria, Sept. 9 -- As the reception accorded former Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State by his successor's aides sparks controversy and sets off loyalty debates, Governor Umo Eno has clarified that the real threat lies not in openly welcoming leaders but in those backstabbers who whisper lies in secret yet smile in your face.

"For me, those to watch out for are not those who pay respect to our leaders in the open. It is those who sneak surreptitiously to tell lies and plant evil seeds and yet come to smile with you," a report by an online newspaper, Policy and Politics, quoted Mr Eno as saying. The Policy and Politics' report is authored by Etim Etim, the paper's publisher and editor-in-chief.

Mr Etim, a former editorial board me...