“For whoever exalts himself shall be abased; and he that HUMBLES himself shall be EXALTED”- Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11.
There are leaders in our contemporary society, whose physiognomies and actions must be imbibed. And if any homosapien attempts to draw ideas, inspirations, directions and knowledge from such leaders, such a person cannot be tried in any court of competent jurisdiction. And if you ask me, such leaders are made in Heaven!
Of course, in the world of leadership, three things are paramount. One is the display of willingness to serve the people, second is the mounting of the position proper and third is sustaining the position and allowing the goodwill of the office to bring the needed dividend. The only way the position can be sustained is by show of HUMILITY.
The Chairman, AkwaIbom State House of Assembly Committee on Rules, Business, Ethics and Privileges, Hon. (Obong) Ime Bassey Okon, representing Ibiono Ibom State constituency, is my kind of leader given his high sense of humility which he displays anytime I see him. It’s on record that the tall ebony-skinned lawmaker always greets first and constantly with Ibibio parlance “sir mmokom-o”, and always with a smile.
Although our Ibibio people say “ekomidohoima”, meaning: “salutation isn’t love”, but there’s one unique feature about Okon’s humble disposition that mesmerizes me. Intelligence plus money, coupled with power soaked with gargantuan humility. I’d rather explain!
In my almost three-decade-sojourn on earth, 95 percent of those I came across who have distinctive features- Money, intelligence, good looks, power etc., are proud, arrogant and haughty. Only a very few are humble and if you ask me, I can enumerate them within 5 seconds.
I have never been one for praise-singing. Even if I were, my list would be limited to close to zero. In our clime today, integrity is scarce. Nevertheless, a few have held their head high above the murk of corruption in which the majority have sunk and wallowed deeply in; it would not be fair to be silent on these few shining examples because of the darkly sinister majority. Ime Okon is one of these few members with outstanding sterling qualities coupled with humility; it would be greatly unfair not to balance my critique of bad leadership with a good account of this man’s sound character and exemplary leadership. I shall do same with others I will pick out from time to time. Gives me faith in the State called Akwa Ibom, well…that sounds right, doesn’t it?
Having said that lets go back to why I have decided to embark on this character probing exercise.
For me, the humility that exudes from this IkotUsen-Ibiono Ibom lawyer-cum-politician has gone a long way such that its tantamount of causing a generational shift in the way governance is run.
I feel it was this exemplary and visible humility that made the people of Ibiono Ibom to believe in his RESTORATION project and vote massively for Utenghe Ibiono Ibom in 2011 and since then he has been keeping his constituents together. His humble disposition coupled with galactic acts of giving (ubokeno-eno) midwife the constituency where people came to realized that indeed, there’s money in the State House of Assembly as in less than 7 months in the House, Obong Ime Okon assembled Ibiono Ibom people at the Ikpa Pavillion and “embarrassed “them with an overdose empowerment packages; ranging from SUVs, salon cars, giant-size generating sets, motor-cycles, sewing machines, hair driers, wheel chairs, as well as huge amount which ran over 8 million Naira.
From that day, it was clearthat the soft-spoken tall lawyer by profession did not come to bully others with the paraphernalia of his position as a Parliamentarian who is the generalissimo of the legislature.
A quick look at Okon’s achievements record reveals he is a perfect definition of a model lawmaker. In the aspect of lawmaking which is the primary role of members of the House, Barrister Ime Bassey Okon has enjoyed a good working relationship with other 25 sound and intelligent lawmakers and has sponsored motions, co-sponsored many bills which had all been passed into law.
In the area of representation and oversight, Obong Ime Okon has broken the record of empowerment of Ibiono Ibom constituents and committee works in just three years. As at the last count, over three hundred indigenes of Ibiono Ibom have benefited from a special fund set up to assist them in areas of health care, small business financing, education(projects and school fees).
To deal with the unemployment plague, Barrister Okon had set up skills acquisition and financial support scheme and as well recommended indigenes of the area who were employed by the government and others by multinationals.
Till today, over 80 indigenes of Ibiono Ibom who were sacked by the Local Government council sometime in 2008 but were reinstated by Hon Ime Okon when he was Chairman, Transition Committee of the area, are still eulogizing him.
No fewer than Forty youths carefully selected across the eleven wards in Ibiono Ibom after due consultations are enjoying monthly grants to improve their businesses and welfare, Over N10 million has been spent so far in that area.
In the area of education, the lawmaker has set up a N1.5million scholarship scheme which caters for the educational needs of under-graduates and HND students of Ibiono Ibom origin in Nigerian recognized institutions of higher learning. Ibiono Ibom law students in Law Schools till date are enjoying grants, courtesy of their member in the House of Assembly.
To support the state government’s free and compulsory education, it is on record that the office of the lawmaker has organized quiz competition thrice (annually since assumption of office) for all primary schools in Ibiono Ibom LGA with vast prizes and cash awarded to winners. Surprisingly, he is also financing free WASCE and UTME lessons for candidates in his constituency and has so far awarded over 95persons scholarships.
Among other projects the Utenghe Ibiono Ibom has attracted through collaboration with agencies and corporate organization are the connections of some communities in Ibiono Ibom western to the national grid, renovation of classroom blocks, offices and conveniences at various schools.
Someone who has achieved these great feats would be a brash-cocky type; True or False? True!!! But the reverse is the case with Ime Okon. In one of his chats with me, I can recall vividly when he said: “Humility and loyalty pays…you must be humble and learn from even a toddler if you want to grow, knowing that no man is repository of knowledge. In the school of learning, no person is a graduate”.
Interestingly, this learned gentleman has always given his ears to everyone no matter where you come from. He has not favored one against the other. This to me is the kind of humility one needs to excel in any office. Frankly and without mincing words, the people of Ibiono Ibom must be thankful to God for creating in their generation a lawmaker who has touched lives of his constituents through his baby-like humility and self-sacrifice.
This quintessential lawmaker believes that power is held on trust for the people, that all public resources entrusted to the care of leaders must be judiciously used so that the dividends of democracy are felt by all and sundry.
Interestingly, as Obong Ime Okon’s first term in office is gradually winding down, individuals and groups, youth, women and elders, have urged their lawmaker not to vacate the seat as his tenancy in the State House of Assembly will be expiring in 2019; they have also declared Ibiono Ibom State Constituency seat “NO VACANCY”.
According to them, the name of the game is experience and somebody who has the legislative capacity, good characters, finesse, integrity and prowess to attract the dividend of democracy to his people should be allowed to do what he knows how to do best till 2019.
A text in the written compendium of Rabbinic Judaism oral instruction becomes necessary: “he who sacrifices a whole offering shall be rewarded for a whole offering; he who offers a burnt-offering shall have the reward of a burnt-offering; but he who offers humility to God and man shall be rewarded with a reward as if he had offered all the sacrifices in the world”.
Now, if you think the reward for self-sacrifice, loyalty and humility isn’t promotion then ask Hon (Obong) Ime Bassey Okon, for confirmation!
-Nyong is a Public Affairs Analyst and Media Consultant-0802-287-8104, 0706-453-9338.
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