Ita Udoh’s ambition and his acceptability in Eket Federal Constituency

BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

It is no longer news that the former commissioner for culture and tourism, Hon.  (Pastor) Ita Udoh had indicated interest to contest the governorship election come 2015 in Akwa Ibom State.

Ita Udoh had made known his intention to THE INK about two months ago during a chat with him at the Ibom International Airport immediately he returned from Abuja on an official assignment.

To many people, it was a surprised that Hon. (Pastor) Ita Udoh who was never believed to be nursing such ambition of becoming the governor of Akwa Ibom State come 2015, could be bold enough to make his intention known for the seat even when he was still in the State executive council.

During the chatting, the former commissioner for culture and tourism hinted that he had made his mind to resign in order to pursue his governorship ambition. To those who don’t know him, Hon. (Pastor) Ita Udoh hails from Efoi village in Eket Local Government Area. He is a man of about 53 years old. He is a very successful man, a former secretary general and president of Afi Iwad Ekid, as well as joint chairman of Labour Committee in Eket Federal Constituency.

Pastor Ita Udoh had served the present administration as Special Assistant (SA) to Governor Godswill Akpabio on Education Matters, because of his hard work, he was later promoted to the position of a Commissioner in the Ministry of Youth and Sports and was later changed to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism still as a commissioner before he resigned to concentrate in his governorship ambition. Above all, Ita Udoh is a man of God, a serving pastor in a popular church known as Power of New Covenant Ministry.
Disclosing his vision and mission to THE INK, Udoh stated that his administration as the next governor come 2015 will focus on human capacity building, jobs creation for youths and women empowerments in agriculture as well as promised to attract investors to the State.

The man of God said he knows the problem of Akwa Ibom State and that his government will focus on capacity developments, train youths on various trades and small scale businesses and that he will be the first governor to establish youths development bank which will help the youths save their money for better use.
On the area of sports, the Eket-born politician promised to take advantage of the new stadium built by the present administration to engage the youths on different sporting activities that will help them discover their talent, adding that the present administration led by Governor Godswill Akpabio has done a lot in infrastructural development and that he will continue from there by developing humans.

Last month, Pastor Ita Udoh began his consultation to political stakeholders at Eket Local Government Area where he consulted Chief Nduese Essien and other principal stakeholders of the Area. Speaking at the consultation, Udoh said that he is not being sent or supported by Governor Godswill Akpabio on his ambition and that the governor has given everybody in his cabinet, especially those from Eket Senatorial District the liberty to contest the governorship election, adding that anybody going around to say that he or she is being supported or sent by the governor is deceiving the people of Akwa Ibom State.

The governorship hopeful thanked the State Governor for giving him the opportunity to serve in the State executive council and promised to use the knowledge and experience gained to drive the State to the next level.

After some days, Pastor Ita Udoh took his consultation team to Esit Eket Local Government Area where he was warmly received by mammoth crowd and he was even shocked to have seen the people of the turning out in large number despite short notice at the residence of Chief S. B. Akansi, (a.k.a. Bureau chief) at Uquo community. The consultation had in attendance: PDP stakeholders, decision makers of the area, council vice chairman of Esit Eket, all councillors, Elders, women as well as the youths.

While addressing the crowd, Pastor Udoh said the visit was to officially consult the people of Esit Eket LGA and to intimate them of his aspiration to become the next governor come 2015. He stressed the need for the people of the area to rise up and support his ambition as he is convinced that he will be sworn in as Akpabio’s successor come 29th May, 2015. He promised to fast track developmental projects in the area and described Esit Eket as an industrial hub of Akwa Ibom State, adding that having served in the State executive council for the past four years; he knows the workings of government and has gained experiences to govern the State.
In his words: “I am in Esit Eket today to consult all stakeholders of my ambition and also to let you people know that where the seaport is finally going to be located favours Esit Eket people which is Okposo and you people should rise up and work as well as support my aspiration.

On what he will do for Esit Eket people, the man of God maintained with him as the governor, Akwa Palm Estate at the area that has been abandoned for some years now will be reactivated and that the oil palm estate has the capacity of employing more than 2,000 Akwa Ibom people to work and that his ambition will ensure that Esit Eket produce palm oil of domestic consumption and for export to international companies.
Also on the gas plant at Esit Eket, the governorship hopeful promised to expand the gas plant which according to him many companies will be brought in and more job opportunities will be created in the State. Udoh who is an educationist promised to build a model secondary school in the area that will attract children from other parts of the State.

Pastor Ita Udoh further maintained that roads in Esit Eket will be dualized and that the area stands to benefit a lot from his administration. “I am qualified to be the next governor and i will contest with anybody. I came to Esit Eket to seek for support from the people of the area, especially in prayer. I will turn Esit Eket to a major city by working on some roads with street lights. If i become the governor come 2015, job opportunities will be created”.

At Ibeno Local Government Area, the residence of a PDP chieftain, Chief Enyina Joshua Enyina, Ukpenekang was the venue of Pastor Ita Udoh’s consultation. The Eket-born politician who also stressed the need for the people of Ibeno LGA to support his aspiration, noted that he is not being sponsored or compelled by anybody or group to contest the election, but that he entered the race which has been his long-term plan and that he has the prudence to run the race that is ahead of him.

According to him: “I came to tell Ibeno principal stakeholders that i am ready for the contest and to seek for their support and blessings, i am not being sponsored by anybody or compelled by any group to contest the governorship election”.

For what he will do for the people of Ibeno, Udoh said when he becomes the governor of the State, his administration will partner with federal government to ensure the protection of the shore-lines so that the ocean does not encroach upon the land of the area, massive urban renewal of the area, Ita Udoh said will be his major concern and that his target is to turn Ibeno to a tourist city as well as build a 3-star hotel, renovate the Ibeno Grammer School and also build a model school that will befit its tourism status.

At Onna Local Goverment Area the story was not different, as people of the area turned out en-mass to received Pastor Ita Udoh which shows the acceptability of his ambition for the position of governorship and pledge their support for the Eket-born politician.

Pastor Udoh while addressing the people of Onna promised to construct roads in the area, especially the road that leads to the high sea. He thanked the stakeholders of Onna for giving him the opportunity to address them despite that they have three governorship aspirants from the area.

The man of God promised to open-up the area by working on abandoned roads even as he said his policies will favour the youths, men as well as the women of Onna LGA. This was what Pastor Ita Udoh promised the people of Eket Federal Constituency during his consultations.

Responding at the different Local Government Areas, political stakeholders promised to support Pastor Ita Udoh’s aspiration even as they advised him to go ahead with his consultation as well as seek for more supports in other part of the state, while women and youths pledged their support also and promised to mobilize for the governorship hopeful during the PDP primaries and the general election come next year.   
However, THE INK observed that throughout his consultation in the four local government areas that make up Eket Federal Constituency, Pastor Ita Udoh never promised to build any industry, but he had promised to empower the people of the constituency who are business oriented and most that especially the youths will be sent out for training within and outside the country, after which his government will encourage and support them to build industries in order to create employments for the people of the State.

On building of industries, this was what Pastor Ita Udoh said: “my administration will not build industries but we will empower and train people within and outside the nation on entrepreneurial knowledge which they will use to function at the industries built by the government for them to manage. They will only pay percentage to government. What i mean is that, government will never build any industry in Eket Federal Constituency, but when i empower people, they will sit down with me to tell me the kind of industry they need in their respective local government areas and we will do a visibility studies and support them financially to establish the industries so that it will be managed privately and not by the government”.

For the youths of Eket Federal Constituency, Udoh promised to establish centres where youths will be trained in various fields of businesses and also youth’s development bank will be established that will enable youths from the constituency to access loan without collateral.While he noted that his administration will always encourage and support youths to venture into various businesses, this is what Ita Udoh said “youths will be trained in different fields of business of their choice after which the government will acquire equipments and also loan some money for them to set up their business”.

In a recent chat with THE INK, Pastor Ita Udoh had said that he has never and will never recruit any youth group to fight for him during election and advised supporters of any aspirant to desist from any violent act but rather they should embrace peace in all of their activities as the election will be free and fair.

Checks by THE INK also revealed that Pastor Udoh is convinced that come November 29, 2015, he will emerge the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer. Anywhere he goes for consultation, Ita Udoh has always been pleading with delegates hopeful at the PDP primaries to always consider voting for him as the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming PDP primaries.

While everyone in Eket Senatorial District has a right to present him or herself for the position of a governor, political observers feel strongly that, as a matter of urgent human development, Pastor Ita Udoh should be voted into office as the next governor of Akwa Ibom State with the believe that his experiences in private business sector and as a man who had serve the present administration for over four years and has gained the knowledge and as well know the workings of the government, will take the State to the next level.

So far, Hon. (Pastor) Ita Udoh’s has received boost as throughout his consultation in Eket Federal Constituency, he was always pulling unexpected crowd that sometimes surprises him. This has shown the level of acceptability of Pastor Ita Udoh in to the race. The people of Akwa Ibom State and Eket Senatorial District should as well see the need to vote him as the next governor as the man of God will never disappoint the people of Akwa Ibom State and the nation in general.

Meanwhile, Ita Udoh’s consultation will continue this week as he has put everything in place to consult Uyo Federal Constituency which his aim is to officially consult the principal stakeholders and to seek for their blessing and support.