Oruk Anam State Constituency 2015: Allowing the visioner to fly with the vision!

BY BORONO BASSEY
“I do not by any means see this confidence repose on me as expressed by your collective votes which gave us this victory, as something to be toyed with. I see it however as the expression of our collective desire as a people to rise and work together in the task of bequeathing for ourselves a greater destiny. With this responsibility you have entrusted on to me, I will always be up in the night to think out ways in which we can make our destinies even brighter.  I have from this moment rolled up my sleeves to get to work and I shall not take my nose off the grind until we get to where we ought to be”

The year was 2011. It was on a Sunday in the month of March. That month had a far-reaching significance as it divided politicians who vied for elections to represent their various state constituencies with the hope of becoming one of the twenty-six members that will act as the voice of the people at the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly into two major camps. They was a camp whose members were bound with the relish  of the sweet aroma of victory. 

 There was yet another camp whose members were forced by the outcome of the House of Assembly Elections to take a second look at their overall strategies with a view to determining what they did not do right, which robbed them of the taste of victory at the polls. Honourable Comrade Udo Kieran Akpan was privileged to be, not just in the camp of those to savor the victory at the concluded polls, but also one of the 26 candidates the people had entrusted with the mandate of speaking for them at the 5th Assembly. When we arrived at his residence that evening to join the people who were there to felicitate him over his victory at the polls, we were shocked to meet a man with a calm and sober look. It was on that occasion that he made the remarks captured at the beginning of this article.

It looks to me that quite a number of his supporters were shocked to see him putting up such calm and collected front on a day like that. But then, his words to his supporters who were at his home that evening had a lot to say about his mindset about the important task of speaking for the good people of Oruk Anam. From those remarks, he only succeeded in revealing himself as one who understands that he is proceeding to the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly on trust – the trust that his actions and inactions will define to a larger extent, the wellbeing of the good people of Oruk Anam. His remarks had placed him under the light as someone who will have to lose sleep in order to ensure that the people, who he has been elected to speak for, constantly savor the gains of leadership.

Three years and scores of months after, one would not be mistaken to conclude that going to work with such a sober mindset has been responsible for the great strides Hon Akpan has achieved in positively altering the socio-economic conditions of the good people of Oruk Anam. One would not be wrong to hazard a guess that that mindset had morphed into empowerment programmes for the people. For instance, in December 2012, Hon Comrade Udo Kieran Akpan packaged what was seen then and even now as  a talk-of –the-town empowerment programme for the good people of Orum Anam state constituency. The population at the Ikot Esenam venue of the event had all the trappings of a religious crusade except for the fact the preaching was done by way of the erudite lawmaker doling out mouthwatering gifts to the people. 

No fewer 14 indigenes of Oruk Anam went home with vehicles; there were lots and lots of wrappers, clothes, bags of rice among other empowerment items. Money running into millions of naira was shared to scores of indigenes of the area, for the important task of setting up of small and medium scale businesses to help improve their lots. At present, no fewer than 15 select indigene of the area cutting across the thirteen wards that make up constituency are placed on a monthly honorarium by the Deputy speaker. He is also picking the tuition and other bills of some indigent students from the constituency, studying in institutions of higher learning.

Impressed by the sheer expression of his determination of Honourable Udo Kieran to step up the living conditions of the people he was elected to represent, the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly, Elder Sam Ikon showered unending encomiums on the lawmaker, describing him as one of the few politicians who feels the pulse of the people who had entrusted him with the mandate.

Hear Sam Ikon “What I have seen here has renewed my faith in democracy. Democracy is about effective representation. It is about touching lives and I am encouraged by the smiles on the faces of the peace-loving of Oruk Anam. I dare say that Hon (Comrade) is an asset not just to Oruk Anam people but to people of Akwa Ibom state.  He deserves to be cherished and encouraged.”

It appears that Speaker Sam Ikon’s description of the Deputy speaker as an asset was informed by the not only his ingenuity while contributing to debates in the floor of the house, but his role as one of the dependable pillars that have held the Assembly as a stable entity.

It is recorded in the annals of history that Hon Udo Kieran is one of the egghead legislators that conceived and pushed for the passage of the Bill for the establishment of contributory Pension scheme for all employees in the Akwa Ibom state public service. The bill jointly sponsored by Hon Emmanuel Akpan, Ekong Sampson and Ime Okon is considered by a greater number of Akwa Ibomites as one of the master strokes of the fifth assembly which has been rightly christened the Peoples’ Assembly.  The law made provision for all deductions made prior to its enactment and took into account interest that had accrued thereof in computing the total sum contributed by a pensioner.

Admittedly, the length of time he has spent as a representative of the people has succeeded in doing one important thing. It has opened Hon Akpan’s eyes to the various ways he could positively affect the socio-economic wellbeing of the people. One will not be wrong to expect that if he has decided to heed to repeated calls on him by the people of Oruk Anam to run for a second term in office in order to consolidate on his achievements, the Deputy speaker, as he is wont to do, has already drawn up a formidable blueprint which will guide him in his quest to deliver more dividends of democracy to the development-loving people of Oruk Anam. If he has decided to heed these repeated calls, Hon Comrade Akpan has two important things going for him. The first is the genuine love for the people of Oruk Anam which he has demonstrated during his stay in office, as the second being the experience in the business of lawmaking, and government relations which will determine to a larger extent, how their lives will be directly touched by the government in the next four years

As it is usually the case, as the 2015 general elections draw closer, there might be some candidates who will wish to rise and wrestle the seat with the deputy speaker. Some might not have to their credit, any record of past attempt on their part, to better the lot of the people through their positions. They will hold desperately to the unfortunate mechanism of propaganda. They will throw as much dirt as they can in the direction of credible candidates. To these people, the mantra, “If you cannot keep up with their impeccable records, try to stain those records” has always been their guiding principle.

These people through the series of propaganda they will churn out will be bent on swaying the minds of the people, for the ulterior purpose of making the people see them as the messiah. However, it is heartwarming to note that the people of Oruk Anam are rational beings with the capacity to identify and queue behind the people that truly wish them well. Therefore it will not be surprising to hear electorates telling an aspirant (who has not set an enviable track record of performance in his previous positions in life), something along the lines of “If you really have the interest of Oruk Anam people as you are claiming right now, you would have allowed Hon Udo Kieran to continue with the task of working with us to develop Oruk Anam!”