As the 2015 Governorship election beckons on Akwa Ibom State, there have been series of heated arguments, contentions, claim and counter claims by political gladiators, supporters of pretenders and contenders on who should occupy the hilltop mansion of the state as governor of Akwa Abasi Ibom State come May 29, 2015.
It is worrisome to hear some would be governors either by pretends or real-intents claimed the governorship of the state on the bases of 2006 support to the incumbent governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio.
Some are of the opinion that they should be given the governorship seat of the state simply because they have worked for the state with Governor Akpabio from the beginning of the present administration till 2013 and 2014 respectively, while others claimed that they should be the occupant of the governor’s office come 2015 base on the ethnic political zoning arrangement and power rotations.
It is even more worrisome and senseless to hear some people claiming that they laboured and worked so hard to make Godswill Akpabio the governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2006, and in return should be compensated with the governorship position of Akwa Ibom state.
Regrettably, none of these people have realized or even considered that it takes leadership to govern a state apart from the political aspect of it, they think the next governor will or should emerge through petty politicking and ethnic agitations for power.
Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defined Politics as activity which involved getting or using power in public life and being able to influence decisions that affects a society. Whereas Leadership has to do with prudent management of resources, control, guidance, giving directions on what is to be done with clear vision which the end product is good governance.
Leadership is different from politics, good leadership when combined with political will metamorphous into good governance, but political power without leadership is tyranny.
As a state named after the great God of heaven and earth (Akwa Abasi Ibom), the people of Akwa Ibom State should be able to understand that there must be God’s hand in any leadership that has to do with this state and God’s principles of leadership should be applied which is quite different from politics.
Akwa Ibom people should be able to decide on what they want, either a leader; driven by passion that will bring to pass good governance or a political governor that will metamorphous into dictatorship and compound the sufferings of ordinary Akwa Ibom person on the street. At this point we find ourselves, the major concern of every Akwa Ibom person should not be on who served the state longest or laboured for Godswill Akpabio to emerge as governor in 2006, but who will render selfless service to Akwa Ibom people and understand that whoever is the governor of this state is a servant of the people which he owes a duty first to the people.
Among all these people agitating for 2015 governorship, it is only Udom Emmanuel that have demonstrated the qualities of a leader who is ready to sacrifice his pleasure for the betterment of this state, he has shown commitment when he condescended from his exalted position as the number four man on the Zenith Bank Board of Directors where head of states and governmentswere looking for him on daily bases and seek his wise professional financial advice, and accepted the proposal or better put it, a duty called on him to come and build the broken walls of his fatherland by the governor like Nehemiah of old which is one of the highest sacrifice anybody could make for the sake of his people. He left behind all other personal interests, not minding the humiliations and blackmails he has gone through in the course of serving this state as SSG.
As a true and devoted Christian, Udom Emmanuel understands that he who will save his life or job shall lose it, but whoever that shall lose his life and job for the sake of serving the people shall save it. We have heard and seen in this state where a man who is now fighting for 2015 governorship; because of his selfishness and lack of vision rejected appointment or a called to serve the Niger Delta as the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC simply because he wanted to be governor in 2015. If not for God’s intervention and the magnanimity of Mr President, Akwa Ibom would have lost out of the plum job because selfishness and greediness of one man. Certainly if this person and others of his type were in the position Udom Emmanuel was, they would not have accepted to condescend to serve the state as SSG and so they don’t deserve any leadership position.
Permit me to say without any reservation that in all ramifications, Udom Emmanuel deserves to be encouraged and supported by all Akwa Ibom people to emerge the next governor of this state after Godswill Akpabio. Judging from all angles, he has the requisite leadership capacity to deliver real developments in this state. Within a short stay in office as SSG, he has proved his worth and capability in leading this state in a more excellent and prosperous way that every Akwa Ibom person will be happy.
Some people believes that with the support the governor is giving to Udom Emmanuel, when he emerge Governor Akpabio will control him, this baseless thinking only exist in their false imaginations. Udom is too sound and over intelligent to be remote control by anybody or behaves like boy-boy governor which Godswill Akpabio knows him for that. Even as SSG, governor Akpabio does not see Udom as his boy but a competent team player whom he treats with respect and love, and Udom also understands that as far as Akwa Ibom state is concerned, Godswill Akpabio is the boss and he will never for any reason try to equate himself with the Governor. He knows his boundaries as SSG which he cannot overstep, others just could not demarked or differentiate themselves and their offices with that of the governor because of excess political powers the governor gave them which set them on collision path with the governor.
The truth about Governor Akpabio’s support to Udom Emmanuel is just that (Udom) is too good a leadership material to ignore, so the governor could not just hold himself than to join thousands of Akwa Ibom people who have seen these exceptional leadership qualities in Udom Emmanuel and support him to succeed as the next governor.
It is even more absurd to hear some people saying, has he voted for anybody before? Has he run away with election materials before? Don’t you know that governorship is a process and not event! He wants to enjoy what others suffered for many years.
To those in this school of thought, Udom Emmanuel has participated in series of voting in Akwa Ibom state, governorship is an event while leadership is a process. Leadership is an attitude that needs to be cultivated with laid down procedure and methods through a steady progression from one stage to another which metamorphosed into development.
It does not matter who starts first but how it is ended, this is why the end will always justify the means. If it depends on who started first or the most laboured, then the master of the vineyard would have given the early hour labourers more than the last hour labourers; theoil of anointing as King of Israel would have fallen on Eliab or his brothers who laboured to perform sacrifice of sanctifications and cleansing instead of David who was away in the field tending his father’s flock, but he became the principal beneficiary of that sacrifice and labour of his brethren.It has never been when is started but the end thereof, that was why David who was a man after God’s heart like some of the governorship contenders were to Godswill Akpabio started well and never ended well because they rebelled.
Let us remember that many are called but one is chosen, the question is why are they not chosen?Their hearts are set so much upon the things of this state. It is never a crime that among all the people Governor Akpabio have invited to serve the state at various capacities, he found true leadership in Udom Emmanuel capable of transforming this state beyond where he will stop in 2015, and has chosen him for himself to inherit the reward of his good works.
Like the master of the vineyard asked his in-contented labourers; why are you jealous? Is your eye evil that Godswill Akpabio has chosen Udom Emmanuel for himself? These things work based on God’s divined appointment and ordination. Because he was foreordained to that leadership and sealed by God before he was born on earth; everythinghad to work in his favour, and no matter the circumstance of his birth, where he may have been, man or political factor, it cannot change or derailed that divined arrangement of God not according to man.
The problem with our politicians is that they focus so much on the external things and forget about the internal things. It’s time for us as a people to distinguish between politics and leadership which is governance. Politics have destroyed governance in Nigeria, it is common to see politicians (governors) playing politics with development and the future of the people. Leadership is good governance which is lacking in our political system, politicians who found themselves in political offices formed cabal of political control among themselves to shield the real leaderaway who is professional in the business of administering good governance for the betterment of the people.
To politicize the 2015 governorship contest of this state will spell doom for Akwa Ibom in the next 8 years; let us remember that any mistake to trade the governorship seat of this state for any personal political gain will amount to sacrificing leadership (good governance) on the altar of politics.
As Mr Udom Emmanuel steps in to offer selfless services to Akwa Ibom state, it is now our collective responsibility to encourage him by way of support to enable him succeed instead of trying to import destructive and baseless criticism that he just came in or was not in the political system.
David was never in the system when the cleansing sacrifice for kingship was performedby his brethren, but since God had already prepared him like Udom Emmanuel for the throne before his birth; it became impossible for his brethren, even Samuel the king-maker to change the will of God. That was why God told Samuel that he should not look at the face but the heart.
From all indications, Udom Emmanuel has demonstrated that he has a good heart needed to develop this state to an enviable height and bring prosperity to Akwa Ibom people.
Today, Governor Akpabio stands as Samuel of old to crown or anoint Udom Emmanuel who undoubtedly the David of our time as the next governor of Akwa Ibom state, he must follow the wise counsel as given by God to Samuel. They thought that Eliab, the first son of Jesse was God’s choice as king when they said; surely the lord’s anointing is before him. But God said to Samuel, “look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for God sees not as man; for man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart”. There are many Eliabs in this state whom God has refused them from governing the people of Akwa Ibom state come 2015.
As it happened in the days of old, God has again directed Governor Akpabio to go to Eket Senatorial District and anoint or choose the next governor of Akwa Ibom state as he directed Samuel to the house of Jesse to anoint David as a king for him. He gave Samuel a specific instruction when he said; “thou shall anoint unto me him whom I will name unto thee”. Now that God has named Udom Emmanuel to Godswill Akpabio as his successor, why should politicians jealous or murmur as if they have not enrich themselves enough with the collective wealth of the people?Are we sleeping through the massive revolution that is about to take place? It’s time we wake-up to our responsibility of making sure that we do what is right, whatever is right comes from God, and Udom Emmanuel is right.
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