President Jonathan: Rise From Your Slumber BY AKPANDEM

A desperate disease requires desperate remedy. It is high time Engineer Frank Okon took over the mantle of leadership as Akwa Ibom State number one citizen for peace to reign. This write up is not intended to serve as political propaganda or for material benefit, but, a genuine attempt to render a dispassionate account of what the President holds as a right of our dear state.  

He has to initiate a post-mortem in the case instituted by Engineer Frank Okon to ensure that Akwa Ibom State remains united and stable.  There should be a complete turn-around rather than preferring to plunge the state into a civil war.  But the question that keeps bothering me is why the President, being fully conscious of the sacredness of the task entrusted in him, should be carried away. He is expected to maintain self-respect than seek popularity, and he should make it a priority to maintain a reputation of courage and integrity, with conscience and integrity being his guiding principles.  He should not allow the pressures of public approval or disapproval demure his judgement as he well knows that a person's action will be ultimately vindicated by time and posterity.

Roger Babson added “if things are not going well with you, begin your effort at correcting the situation by carefully examining the service you are rendering and especially the spirit in which you are rendering it”.  To know what is right and not do it is as bad as doing wrong.

Nothing cost more than doing the right thing.  The man who borrows trouble is always in debt.  What kind of world would this be if everyone was just like you?  Change should begin with you.  Remember when you are pointing your finger at someone else; there are three pointing back at you.  When you are confronted with a tough situation, ask yourself, “Do I have a pure heart and right spirit?” Psalms 139:23 says “Search me O God and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way”.  

Let posterity ask: Did the president have integrity?  Did he have consistency?  Did he have courage?  If posterity answers these questions in affirmative, then he would fully be satisfied and would regard his mission as successful.  In reality, a person appointed to head a society or organization will feel the urge for sober reflection – in order to collect his thought and decide within himself in advance the major goal to set for himself and the principles by which he will be guided, how much more when destiny thrusts upon a man the leadership of more than 150 million people and the responsibility for their happiness and welfare.  President Jonathan, make your mind with the sacred task entrusted in you by God, subject yourself to the most careful and rigorous soul-searching examination to avoid 'had I known'. The time is always right to do the right thing. 

 Be driven by excellence.  The true measure of a person is in his height of ideals, the breadth of his sympathy, the depth of his convictions, and the length of his patience, consider what the book of James says: “Therefore to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin”. He should let us appreciate fully his extraordinary courage and achievements in the matter, if not the world, particularly the powers that be in position will judge realistically his role.  My humble advice to Engineer Frank Okon, is that he should never give up on what he really knows he should do.  

Failure is waiting on the path of persistence. The man of the hour spent many days and nights getting there.  Consider the man who said 'my over-night success was the longest night in my life”. President Jonathan should consider what 1Peter 2:9 says; But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people”.  Dare to be what you are.  

Think about it: Aren't most of the discontented people you know trying to be something they are not or trying to do something they're not supposed to do?  Resolve to be yourself!