“One of Akpabio’s virtues in the early years of his administration was humility and his willingness and readiness to consult his colleagues and advisers at all times, as years rolled by however, he felt himself confident and in full control of the reins of power, he became autocratic and regarded any consultations unnecessary and derogatory to his absolute authority, those who ventured to approach him volunteer advice and suggestions were branded by him as political enemies of his administration”
All available evidence proves conclusively that, the executive governor the state, Chief Godswill Akpabio is the cause of all what is befalling our state. He is not far in sight, his qualities and attributes fit him not for the position presently he is occupying, and it appears he has failed the state on vital and crucial issues on which the state pinned its hopes of future greatness.
Had he succeeded to keep the state together his name would have gone into history as one of the great leaders of our time. To me, the administration of Akpabio is stinking with gross inefficiency and mismanagement. Things had deteriorated to a point where a common man cannot feed himself not to talk of his family, the administration of the state has become completely inaccessible without consultation and advice, affairs of the state which used to be a matter of collective responsibility have now become a one tribe show of which they cannot tolerate any contrary opinion or advise.
It is obvious that ethnicity cannot and should not be allowed to continue in this manner, if not, to promote the social and economic advancement will be impossible. The governor is supposed to develop on atmosphere of sufficient stability and genuine demonstration of moderation and self control in pursuing sectional ends for the overall interest of the state.
The existence of sectionalism and tribalism has already saw to the emergence of a high degree of sectional, politicking, intemperate utterance deliberately designed to whip away peace and unity of the state, just for the benefit of the political aspiration of a tribe. Akwa Ibom people are afraid that a man who is unbending and uncompromising and who has also acquired a reputation for ruthlessness was not the type to lead the state, a man who could never live within his legitimate earnings and must therefore devise various illegal and questionable means to acquire anything to satisfy his appetites.
This administration has been overwhelmingly condemned and disappointing, a colossal failure which cannot evolve a sensible course out of a difficult situation or adopt a flexible approach to the problems of government within a political framework, this administration has also failed to embark on promulgation of the political unification of Akwa Ibom State in the face of its peculiar historical background and its political circumstances. A leader should never lose touch with the feelings and aspirations of the people he is leading, Godswill Akpabio’s administration exemplifies this warning, he has succeeded in surrounding himself with sycophants, opportunists and men who cared only about their own selfish ambition, these men became his advisers and close confidants, and today, they have succeeded in completely leading him astray.
He has failed to form a single and undivided thread in the fabric of the history and administration with his predecessors. Akwa Ibom people need governments that will for a long time come to be remembered as the period in which the state received a new lease of life that will give a new orientation to the state goals that revitalized public life and set the state on the part of true greatness. The honest people of the State and ordinary citizens want peace and stability, the only condition under which progress and development are possible from all works of life.
One of Akpabio’s virtues in the early years of his administration was humility and his willingness and readiness to consult his colleagues and advisers at all times, as years rolled by however, he felt himself confident and in full control of the reins of power, he became autocratic and regarded any consultations unnecessary and derogatory to his absolute authority, those who ventured to approach him volunteer advice and suggestions were branded by him as political enemies of his administration.
Thus we see the gradual growth of ambition and of absolute power in a ruler who, by nature was basically a good man, once ambition set in and desire for absolute power became overriding principle; he lost his sense of understanding and could no longer discern the limit of the possible. It is no wonder that it has often been said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is the same lesson of the dangers of ambition that is brought out in the classic case of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar when Brutus remarked that; tis a common proof that lowliness is young ambition ladder, where to the climber upward turns his face; but when he once attain the upmost round, he then unto the ladder turns his back, look in the clouds, scorning the base degrees by which he did ascend.
The prayer of every reasonable and responsible citizen of this state should be, God help us to overcome all these ills. A patriotic and reasonable Akwa Ibomite who sees the mess through which this state has undergone should pray for the greatness of our beloved sate. And may God sit in heaven and answer our prayers.
