The Akwa Ibom Consolidation Alliance (ACA), a political group believed to be working for the actualization of Udom Emmanuel Project for Governorship of the state was on Friday 6th June, 2014 inaugurated at the Ibom Hall Grounds along Babangida Avenue in Uyo.
The event which witnessed a large turnout of people and groups dressed in different uniforms was organized by the Central Planning Committee of the organization to officially swear in the National and State Executive member of the organization in preparation to kick off campaigns for the 2015 governorship election in the state.
“The Akwa Ibom Consolidation Alliance (ACA), as the name implies, is an organization of like-minded individuals in the state who thought it wise that the uncommon transformation witnessed in the state in the last seven years as exemplified by the uncommon Transformer, Obong (Dr) Godswill Akpabio, should be consolidated upon and sustained by the next administration in the state to cater for the good and progress of the greater majority of the people of the state”. This is according to Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem, who was the Chairman of Venue/Decoration sub-committee of the organization.
The Special Guest of Honour on the occasion, Chief (Dr) Godwill Akpabio who was represented by his Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Matters Hon. Emmanuel Ibiok said that the organization was borne out of the desire to see to it that power shifts to Eket Senatorial District in 2015 in the spirit of fairness, equity, and good conscience and promised that his administration will continue to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the state and solicited for the continued support from the people to help the administration succeed to the end. He also pledged the support of his administration to help the organization succeed in its mandate of delivering his successor come 2015 in the state stating that “together we can consolidate and strengthen our democratic gains and ideals, together we can lay a solid foundation that will move the Akwa Ibom people to the next level of development”.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion, Sir (Barr) Bassey Dan-Abia, the Managing Director of NDDC represented by Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, the State Commissioner for Local Government & Chieftaincy Affairs drew his inference from the law of monastic cyrcle thus; discipline begets abundance and abundance if not well taken care of pulls down discipline and discipline in its fall pulls down abundance. He asserted that this law has been witnessed in the state where a lot of young men who were loyal to the Akpabio led Government had acquired so much wealth which had turned to opulence and this made them to throw caution into the wind and became reckless which in turn rid them of the abundance they had acquired. According to him ACA is convinced that the right thing to do in the prevailing political circumstance in the state is to see to it that the next governor of the state comes from Eket Senatorial District. He asserted that a real man must stand by his conviction which such conviction can propel him to the sky or take him to their grave and he believed that the conviction of ACA will propel the state to its zenith in terms of infrastructural development and industrial renaissance and therefore urged all who mean well for the state to join forces with ACA to take Akwa Ibom state to its zenith.
The Guest of Honour on the occasion, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) at whose instance the organization was birthed, speaking on the occasion said that ACA was born out of the need to see that justice, fairness and equity is done in the state. He said that ACA is an organization which believes in the consolidation on the gains of democracy and on the continuity of uncommon transformation witnessed in the state through Dr. Godswill Akpabio. He also said that ACA is a body which believes that since government is a continuum, the good policy thrusts of the present administration in the state should be consolidated upon and that it is an organization of like-mined people who pray the believers’ prayer “let God’s will be done in the State again, again, and again”. He quoted Martin Luther King (Jnr.) who said that “we must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools” and therefore appealed to all sections of the state to continue to do things that will enhance the peaceful co-existence of the state.
The Guest of Honour and SSG Udom Emmanuel used the opportunity to thank Governor Godswill Akpabio for providing the dividends of democracy to the state and promised to consolidate and even take the state to greater heights if the ACA project succeeds. He therefore, charge ACA to go out and fight a fight of justice, equity, and fairplay, adding that individuals score points in a game, but that a team wins the race, and called on all and sundry to join ACA to do what is right and imbibe the principle of John Wesley who said that “which is to do all the good we can do, in all the ways we can do, in all places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as we can”.
The wife of the State Governor, Her Excellency Mrs. Ekaete Unoma Godswill Akpabio thanked her husband for uncommonly transforming the state and for appointing women into sensitive positions in the state executive council and promised to always stand by him to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state. She declared that she has collapsed the Uyai Iban Akwa Ibom, the socio-cultural/political women group that she heads, into ACA to help ACA succeed in its mandate.
High point of the occasion was the swearing-in of the National/State Executive members of the group. Those sworn in included Pastor Andrew Uwanta as president, Mr. Mike Sebastine as Deputy President; Hon. Monday Ebong Uko as Vice President I, Hon Victor Antai as Vice President Vice President II, Hon Enobong Uwah as Vice President III; Mr. Esset as Assistant Secretary General I; Pastor Tony Bassey Etim, as Assistant Secretary General II; while Hon. Aniekan Okon Akpan was sworn in as the Treasurer.
Others were; Engr. Otobong Ndem as Financial Secretary; Hon. Samuel Ekah as Asst. Financial Secretary; Frank Archibong as Organizing Secretary; Obong Ime Atakpa as Asst. Organizing secretary I; Hon. Uno Etim Uno is the Public Relations Officer amongst others.
Members of the Central Planning Committee of the body are Rt. Hon. Anietie Etuk – Chairman, while Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Akpan, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Hon. Monday Uko, Mr Nsentip Akpabio, Prince Idongesit Ituen, Mrs. Gloria Edet, Hon Felicia Bassey, and Hon. Victor Udofia are members.
Many cultural dance troupes added pep to the occasion they included Ekpo Cultural Group from Ikpe Annang, Ekpe Cultural troupe from Uruan, Ntok Odidio from Ini amongst others.
BY GODWIN SAM
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