“Many who know Mr. Udom Emmanuel attest to his uncommon
virtues and gifts. One of his school mates who prefers anonymity described him
as possessing of a magnetic intellect. He isolated humility, hard-work and
discipline as some of his greatest gifts. He noted that Mr. Udom Emmanuel is
straightforward and stands for truth at all times. He submitted that if Mr.
Udom Emmanuel is given the right atmosphere, he would be a dependable partner
in the execution of Governor Akpabio’s lofty vision”
Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the
son of parents’ teachers once again proved that with or without a silver-spoon,
one can triumph over seeming limitations with God and hardwork and attain
enviable heights that may have appeared as the exclusive preserve of the
privileged class. He joins the likes of Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio whose
chequered background offered him no future but who is today making history as
one of the best governors Nigerian has ever produced. Governor Akpabio joins
the pantheon of renowned leaders that have distinguished themselves and etched indelible
legacies that would serve as reference in good governance for many years to
come. Indeed Akpabio’s life deserves close study and emulation.
Mr. Udom Emmanuel, another meteor shot into the political
firmament of Akwa Ibom State on July 30, 2013 following the removal of Obong
Umana Okon Umana as Secretary to the State Government. Umana is said to have
publicly declared intention to run for office of governor in clear
contravention of the provisions of the constitution which insists that those
campaigning for political offices must resign their subsisting appointments to
avoid conflict of interest and provide the aspirants time to concentrate on
their electioneering campaigns. Governor Akpabio who has also advised political
office holders with eyes on political offices come 2015 to resign their
appointments, has maintained that he owes a duty to the constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria which he swore to uphold at all times.
Obong Umana Okon Umana goes down in history as the longest
serving Secretary to Government having served meritoriously for six years. His
Excellency, Chief Godswill Akpabio commended Obong Umana “for his dedication
and contributions to the Uncommon Transformation of Akwa Ibom State.” He
further described him as a “brother and a friend who displayed exceptional
competence in the discharge of his duties in the past six years.” The governor
wished Obong Umana Okon Umana success in his future endeavours. A letter
of commendation was duly forwarded by the governor to the then outgone
Secretary to Government suggesting that the change was less acrimonious than
political contractors wanted many to believe.
An adage which is almost trite posits that nature abhors
vacuum. And so Obong Umana’s exit brought a corporate meteor to continue with
the proverbial role of serving as the engine room of the Akwa Ibom State
Government. And he has come with what Governor Akpabio described as
intimidating credentials. The University of Lagos Accounting graduate started
his working career with Price Water House before joining Diamond Bank Plc. But
his career as a corporate strategist blossomed with Zenith Bank, where he
through dint of hardwork navigated his way to the top echelon of the bank as an
executive director. He has served in the said capacity since 2006.
Mr. Udom Emmanuel has been non-executive director, African
Finance Corporation (AFC) till the appointment. He was Director, Nigerian
Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBBS), Non-Executive Director, Zenith Bank,
United Kingdom; Zenith Bank Gambia; Zenith Bank, Sierra Leone; Zenith
Insurance; Zenith Pensions and Custodian, Zenith Securities; Zenith Trustees
and Zenith Registrars. The State master of Ceremonies, Mr. Oliver Udokpo
crowned it all when on rounding-off the reading of the robust citation noted
that Mr. Udom Emmanuel has joined the Zenith of the political affairs of the
State to serve his fatherland. That show of mastery of wit elicited a
thunderous applause complementing the pervasive joy of Akwa Ibom people who
were shocked to know that one of their own could record such novel achievements
and yet remain so little known.
But the new SSG’s citation as read at that swearing in
ceremony was an abridged version of the accomplishments of this great son of
Akwa Ibom. The citation did not inform the excited audience that he is an
alumnus of INSEAD (The European Institute of Business Administration) France,
Columbia Business School, USA, the Wharton Business School, USA and the London
Business School. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
of Nigeria, Fellow of the Institute of Financial Management and an Associate of
the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. With over 23 years of cognate
experience which culminated in Udom Emmanuel serving as executive director in
charge of Corporate Finance and Advisory Services, Research and
Strategy/Financial Control, Telecoms, etc, he remains a toast and an asset that
should be courted and celebrated.
These towering achievements construct a sharp contrast with
his early background of birth in the then rural Ukanafun Local Government Area
where the father was teaching and a secondary school education at Community
Secondary School, Ikot Akpan Eshiet in Onna Local Government Area. It, however,
attest to the fact that with discipline and hard-work, one can be a success
story irrespective of one’s place of birth and early life. We need to be
reminded that Jesus Christ was born in the manger but that has not detracted
his status as the king of kings.
Many who know Mr. Udom Emmanuel attest to his uncommon
virtues and gifts. One of his school mates who prefers anonymity described him
as possessing of a magnetic intellect. He isolated humility, hard-work and
discipline as some of his greatest gifts. He noted that Mr. Udom Emmanuel is
straightforward and stands for truth at all times. He submitted that if Mr.
Udom Emmanuel is given the right atmosphere, he would be a dependable partner
in the execution of Governor Akpabio’s lofty vision. Engineer Ediong Udom who
lives in the United Kingdom and who has fond memories of childhood with the new
SSG described him as a very intelligent man. He referred to his strong
Christian background maintaining that he has built his values around his
foundation as a strong Qua-Iboe Church faithful. Barrister Aniekan Etiebet, the
managing director of Data Sciences Nigeria Limited had this to say of Mr. Udom
Emmanuel. “A fine gentleman, privately and professionally; a thorough-bred. A
very humble and extremely intelligent man. He is indeed an asset to Akwa Ibom
State”. Testimonials on Mr. Udom’s character and accomplishments show that he
is a man of immense value who would indeed add meaningful value to the affairs
of the State.
There is no gainsaying the fact that he has come to the table
with robust experience. But he may be familiar with corporate bureaucracy, not
political or governmental bureaucracy. As Governor Akpabio stated on the day of
his inauguration, he has to learn fast since there is no time to make mistakes
and correct them. Apart from the technocratic demands of his office as SSG,
there are also political demands. And such demands would attract blackmail and
even character assassination. Mr. Udom must therefore brace up for such
incidents as the Governor earlier warned. Those tendencies must manifest. I
pray he gets used to them fast.
A third son in a family of six comprising four boys and two
girls, Mr. Udom Emmanuel looks socially active and truly detribalised. For
instance he de-emphasises origin in his dealings with anybody. He prefers
honest and straightforward people than relationship built on primordial
instincts. Married with children to an Akwa Ibom daughter, Mr. Udom is the
latest bride in the politics of the State. Let us welcome him with open hands
and goodwill.
Joe Iniodu is a public affairs commentator
No comments:
Post a Comment