CLEMENT IKPATT is the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora matters. He also doubles as the President of Akwa Ibom Diaspora Network, AIDN. In the wake of the recent financial scam linked with the body, Mr. Ikpatt in an interaction with newsmen at the conference room of the Ministry of Information and Communications said those who planted the story of financial fraud against the body are dishonest and not sincere. In this interview with select journalists, the AIDN President gave the Information Commissioner, Aniekan Umanah a clean bill of health and maintained that the money in question was yet to be released to the body. THE INK captures the mood of the story as told by the AIDN boss.
My name is Clement Ikpatt, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Diaspora Affairs. This is the first time that I have seen some of you physically but I know your names because I read some of your papers and your commentaries, so our meeting today is going to be quite interactive and feel free to ask pertinent questions about the Diaspora because that is my job to make sure that you are properly informed with our brothers in UK, USA, south Africa and all over the world outside Nigeria.
We have about two million Akwa Ibom Citizens scattered all over the world most of them in the UK, USA, South Africa and other countries in the world. We try to be grouped together so that we can interact in a much larger capacity especially in the UK and the purpose of my coming here is to give you the story of the state of Affairs in the Diaspora and I would want to tell you that in the about two million Diaspora citizens that we have, they are a very united force, united in the culture and tradition and being outside the country, it is the real Akwa Ibom identitythat keeps us together.
What I can also tell you is that for the past six years I put it that way. The Akwa Ibom Diaspora has become increasingly aware of what that is going on back home and we are so proud of the uncommon transformation that is taking place through the administration of His Excellency Chief Dr. Goodswill Akpabio. So proud that some many Akwa Ibomiteswho are not in the country feel tall of what he is doing and it is good for you to walk around and people say that is an Akwa Ibom man and all that is because of what is going on here, what they read in the press that you report has played a key in making them come to that conclusion that all is going on well in the state. As I said, we have very deep root to the state and this is historical, the level of our contribution to our economy by way of sending funds to our economy is enormous we are taking about Nigerians contributing in the billions to their families in school fees, survival money and stuff like that.
As Akwa Ibom state indigenes we really want to be integrated into what is going on in Akwa Ibom state and I must thank His Excellency that for the first time in the history of the state he is the first governor to give the people in the Dispora such an opportunity and we are grabbing it with two hands. He has made special appointments, Ithink he has appointed about six of us into various boards or given political appointment or given national appointments. For example he facilitated the appointment of Barr UduakUkpewho is residing in London into the Sovereign world fund as the Secretary General council. He has made this happen and he has seen the need to integrate us into the affairs of state and we are happy to serve and hopefully after his tenure in office we hope it will continue because of the foundation that has been laid and because of this awareness you find a lot of your brothers in the Diaspora wanting to come home. Six years ago, this wasn’t the case. As a matter of fact, a lot of people were shot out from what is going on in Nigeria not just in Akwa Ibom. As a Special Assistant, I have a lot of people and groups that come and say look what are the opportunities available, I really want to come back and that happened because they have come to Uyo and they have seen the level of development and the potentials ahead. And they increasingly want to come back and contribute to the growth of the state.
Also we are putting in place some initiatives that will really propel the state and graciously His Excellency has approved some programmes like the training of some local entrepreneurs were we will have some foreign base entrepreneurs come and invest that is going to be our contribution towards the industrialization of the state for people and to come and establish industries across the state and also engage in other entrepreneurial endeavors. We will do that because we are thankful to His Excellency for counting us worthy. You will see a lot people in the Diaspora coming from now till the end of the administration and that increase awareness is also made possible because you have the internet and the social media outlet, you read a lot of things, a lot of contribution from the Diaspora and I can tell you that the majority of them is in support with what that is going on here.
Althoughwe still have pockets of few individuals who has for various personal or sponsored interests will go on the media and say things they want, it happens in every society and you can’t control them. I will say that the awareness level is very-very good and because of the uncommon transformation the stage is now set for us to come and contribute to the various segments of the society.
Politically we are very much interested in issues and other things that go on in the state and I want to tell you here now that by virtue of my office I relate very well with AKISAN which is Akwa Ibom Association in the U.S.A. and various other groups in the world, we are very happy with what that is going on in the state and that is what we want you to propagate. That is why you see a lot of us interested in the political issues in the state and we want to participate not just seating outside writing things in the internet but coming back to indicate interest in the process and registering to vote as the law allows and also contribute to the various party machineries and some has decided to do that, as a matter of fact some has already come back. You will be seeing a lot of political participation from people in the Diaspora. We have been integrated and we want to participate. Also politically, I want to stress this point that we now know where the state is moving to, as a matter of fact we all hear the governor asking questions on various occasions about political movement. The Akwa Ibom Diaspora is not about imposition as the Local press put it but I want to state very categorically that having the experience of other democratic civilization and cultures, you cannot have a high performing executive come in where the level of high level of infrastructure that has taken place, change the re orientation of the people politically and socially then you do not go to him and say look what you are doing is great help us to look for somebody who can continue in your footsteps or even perform better. Ours is not about anybody imposing anybody, ours is about going to the man and ask him to show us the direction. I will give you an example, Singapore was in a dilapidated state, they came a man who transformed the nation and today he is the father of the nation. He actually transformed Singapore from a rural community to a top grade industrial economy of today. You find people go to him at all levels to say look you have done these things before, you are the man who transformed this place, help us look for someone who will continue with this. So we should go to God and His Excellency and say you have performed so very well, we have seen what that is happening in other countries, we really appreciate you for taking Akwa Ibom from level Zero to where we are right now. There is a way he might be able to direct us on whom we will elect. So that is the mindset that we are going. We are very comfortable with the rotation policy that we have taken to Eket. As a matter of fact, it is an issue of social Justice. One thing I can assure you all is that we are not looking at so much, inasmuch as we have agreed that every democracy has its own culture and tradition. Democracy in the UK is not the same in USA, there is Akwa Ibom type of democracy we should not discountenance that because we are different from what that is happening in Germany. So what we want to do is that, that kind of democracy that is cultivated by ours in Akwa Ibom, we have found that this rotation policy is the best form of social justice for now, so we will support that and the majority of the people in the Diaspora is in support of that, not withstanding, we are looking for a credible candidate who will come up so that the people can vote for so that he can continue with the uncommon transformation, that is what I believe that the Diaspora people want. We want somebody that will come in and help to transform a civil service culture to a more industrialized culture. So gentlemen of the press, like I said all these things are happening because of His Excellency.
What is the contribution of the Diasporans to Akwa Ibomites at home?
I will start with the medical because every year I know about two medical commissions that come to Akwa Ibom, some of them just come quietly, either at the private level or organized organizations. Various organizations have been coming with medical mission to Akwa Ibom, when they come, they perform operations and so on, and a lot more are still planning to bring on medical missions. I am very happy you brought up that area of education, what is the point of bringing in thousands of books that are irrelevant here, but that is not to say that it is not important, it can be done at some level. We really have to source for what that is relevant here. His Excellency has provided a platform especially in ICT for people to register in the library and there are millions of books to read. Our children have to develop the interest of using what we have on ground to really enhance the ICT training that we are talking about. We don’t have a very viable private sector in Akwa Ibom State, what we plan to do is to train entrepreneurs, guide them to develop the entrepreneurial culture and help them to set up their businesses and we will monitor it. That will help to grow as an entrepreneur. We are going to train people who create jobs for themselves and then the people around. So that is the emphasis. We want to develop that entrepreneurial culture so that it can be sustainable over the years even after the life of this administration.
HOW DO YOU INTEND TO ACHIEVE THIS?
It is going to be a complete entrepreneurial training, we will train people and help them set up and monitor what they are doing. We are going to have collaboration, as a matter of fact; we have spoken to the commonwealth about it and they are very positive about it. There is collaboration with a University, an Akwa Ibom indigene who is the Dean of the Business school at the Lincoln University is going to design the programme. So it is going be different from what Lagos or Abia state is doing.
Are you speaking the minds of the people in the Diaspora or as a political appointee?
I am speaking the minds of the people in the Diaspora that is what I am here for.
You said, the reason why you want the Governor to choose a successor is because he has performed very well, but a greater percentage of what the governor is doing started from the other administration of Obong Victor Attah like the five star Hotel, Akwa Ibom International Airport, like the IPP these things, the foundations where laid by the other administration and if in the process of completion of the projects by this current administration, you are seeing the Governor Godswill Akpabio as “the father of the Akwa Ibom so to say” and you went ahead to say in every generation we must consult the governor, for how many years, then what will happen to the person who laid the foundation?
Well, people come up with ideas; I am not taking away the fact that some of these things were planned during the last administration. But we are realistic now who did them?
Cuts in, the person does not wish to state that he did not lay the foundation. Like the Econet, Akwa Ibom state had a great percentage in Econet during that administration of Obong Victor Attah and that was the kind of investment that was good for the people of Akwa Ibom state. I would have loved to hear you say that the people in the Diaspora will now meet with the stakeholders and the past leaders then also seek their opinion as far as the issue of 2015 is concerned.
There is this issue of financial crises in your organization, the governor sending you people in the Diaspora money and the issue of the executive embezzling the money and the commissioner of information Aniekan Umanah has been fingered in this too. What is yourposition on this?
I am glad you have brought up this issue, let me state it categorically clear that it is a false alarm. It has not happened, quote me anywhere, yes, there have been an approval to help the organization as is the case when any organization officially requests for assistance, that money has not been released till today, the Hon. Commissioner for Information gave a very appropriate and straight response to that when he replied via internet. Why do you want us to dwell on something that is not true, every aspect of what they say is false and these are thesame people who for selfish reasons, who for reasons just to target government officials and I want to say this that these people writing these things, that none of them is a member of the organization, AIDN is a membership organization.
What qualifies somebody to be a member of the group?
One you have to show interest and come for our meetings, you have to pay your dues and you have to be accepted into the organization.
The industrialization process all over the world is not done in one day it takes a process and I can assure you that that process has been ongoing over sometime. It is a process and it will eventually happen. And i want to disabuse your minds from the fact that you are trying to tie this thing to an election year, those two things are very separate. We will continue to contribute our quota even after this administration. It is going to take time for it to materialize; it has nothing to do with the upcoming election. Also I want you to clear something, when you hear someone in the Diaspora wanting to come and participate in politics, there are some things you cannot do according to the Law. It does not have to be voting alone it can be by any other means.
WHY IS THE DIASPORA SO DISUNITED THAT THEY FIGHT OVER EVERY MONEY
I started by telling you that we have about 2 million Akwa Ibom people scattered all over the world and I told you that overwhelming majority of them are united, they are happy with the level of Infrastructure ongoing and we are proud of it. Like it happens in every society, you will have pockets of people who for selfish or sponsored reasons are not happy with what is going on. Even Jesus Christ upon all the things he did, you had people complaining about him so even in Akwa Ibom, it cannot be different.
Is it because of the favour you want to get from Akpabio that you decide to go into partnership with him?
We don’t go into partnership to get favour, we go into partnership to support good projects, it is very clear. The list of what His Excellency has done in terms of infrastructural development is impressive, he has performed outstandingly you cannot compare him to any sitting Governor in this country or past administration. We are not about the “person who is sitting as the governor” but about what he has done and the services provided to the people. There is nobody who will doubt what this man has done, we are proud of him. After this administration we will be a very “ungrateful” set of people if we do not thank the work that this man has done and then give him the commendations for it. He has done well.
How many years old is your organization, AIDN?
AIDN is many years and I am sitting here as the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Diaspora affairs. So I am not speaking as President of AIDN but as a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, they should be no special attention to AIDN.
BUT YOU PEOPLE APPEAR TO BE SYCOPHANTS
If you see the administration of a government or government official doing functions or anything good for the people, automatically you are branded a sycophant, then if you are going by that definition of sycophant you are correct. But are you now saying or suggesting that we should not appreciate what a leader does? Is that sycophancy? So we are not sycophants we are just appreciating what the leader does.
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