Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has clarified that his “Happy Hour” comment was misunderstood, insisting it was never about the government sponsoring drinking sessions for civil servants.
Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, Eno explained that the phrase referred to moments of relaxation after hard work, not alcohol consumption.
“I think it was taken completely out of context,” he said. “Happy hour means that if you work hard, you should occasionally find time to relax. For example, I’ve been working since Sunday, and today I just want to visit Arise Park, spend time there, and unwind. That, for me, is happy hour — a time to refresh, not to get drunk.”
The governor stressed that celebrations could take many forms and were not limited to drinking. “Every time you achieve something and celebrate, that’s happy hour. You can have happy hour in church or anywhere else,” he explained.
When asked about reports that his administration spent ₦18 billion on “happy hour”, Eno expressed disbelief. “What kind of happy hour is that? I don’t know. I don’t have such a subhead in my budget,” he said.
Eno, who laughed off being described as the “happy governor,” replied: “I am happy. And we all seem to be a happy state. We are happy people.”
His clarification follows renewed debate months after his “happy hour” campaign promise sparked controversy during the 2023 governorship election. The governor has firmly denied online claims that billions were budgeted for the initiative, stating that no such allocation exists in Akwa Ibom’s financial records.