Udom Emmanuel’s day of glory: Eket Fed Constituency stand still for SSG

 Udom Emmanuel showing the sword to the Governor representive at the event, Noble Lady Valerie Ebe

BY JOSEPH OKON

It was an impressive outing last Tuesday as the people of Akwa Ibom State came out in large number cutting across all parts of the state from the hinterland of Uyo Senatorial District to the coastal city of Oron, Eastern   Obolo and IkotAbasi to the raffia city of IkotEkpene as they converged at Eket sport stadium to honour the Secretary to State Government, Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel in a grand reception rally organized for the SSG by the people of Eket Federal Constituency.

The reception was attended by unprecedented crowd of supporters who came out in thousands to honour the SSG and show their solidarity to the gubernatorial ambition of Mr Udom Emmanuel for 2015.

In his remark, the chairman on the occasion and former Minister for Environment, Chief Ndueso Essien said that the decision to honour the SSG by the people of Eket Federal Constituency was a well thought out decision having examined his pedigree and antecedents, and found him worthy and the best among all other aspirants for the 2015 governorship job in Akwa Ibom state.

He thanked the state Governor and the people of Uyo Senatorial District for allowing equity and fair play in the 2015 governorship, by supporting Eket Senatorial District to produce the next Governor of the state which they have present Mr Udom Emmanuel as the sole candidate for 2015 governorship by Eket people.

The chairman who is a former National Assembly member described the shoe of governance that will be left by Governor Akpabio as a very large size which only a man like Udom Emmanuel can wear such shoe conveniently and perform very well.
Addressing the mammoth crowd of supporters at the stadium, the elated Secretary to State Government, Mr Udom G. Emmanuel thanked his people for the show of love and confidence they reposed in him by choosing him for the honour which according to him signifies the dawn of a new beginning in the lives of Eket Federal Constituency.
He said, “I’m proud of Eket Federal Constituency. You know in the bible, when there was a dream and a vision, the people that wanted to kill the vision in Joseph were his own brothers, when David was prepared, the people who wanted to kill that vision were his own people, but today you have re-write that history by standing up and say this vision cannot be killed. This vision,we shall celebrate, we shall march on together, and this vision shall lead us to the divined destiny.

Udom Emmanuel in a warm embrace with the wife of the Governor, Mrs Unoma Akpabio

 
I want to tell the youths, women and Elders that having seen all your supports for me and show of love; you have not made any mistake in standing by me, and the voice you are hearing speaking to you today shall continually be the right voice. When Chief Ndueso Essien who is the chairman of this occasion spoke, he said the shoe size is large; what is the shoe size? 2015 governorship is the shoe size, but I’m made to understand that the shoe has only one leg which is the right leg, and if it has only the right leg that means Udom is to wear that shoe.I know that to whom much is given, much is expected, and I promise that I will not let you down”.

Also speaking, the former Military Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga said that his decision to intervene in the affairs of the state is because the future is more important than the present, and called on Elders in the state to shun politics of blackmail, falsehood, and propaganda, as propaganda will never win election.

He encouraged Elders to stop struggling for the fruit of the state now, but should plant trees of unity and industrialization in the state because if they don’t reap it, their children will reap.

According to Nkanga,”I have chosen to intervene in the affairs of Akwa Ibom state because the future is more important than the present. I want to tell you today, that the mark of a man is not where he stands in time of convenience and comfort, but where he stands during crisis and conflict. Today, I stand to represent Uyo Senatorial District and the Elders in this state. We have seen a lot of politics of bitterness in Akwa Ibom, character assassinations, blackmails, propaganda, and falsehood, but people should know that propaganda has never win election.

“It is now time for our Elders to stop struggling for the fruit but should plant a tree, and if they cannot reap from the tree, their children will reap from it. We must all support the present generation to rise and meet with other Nigerians, the future of our youths is now, and we must support them. Akwa Ibom state has a lot of capacity; we had a legal luminary like Udo Udoma, financial experts like Clement Isong and Udom Emmanuel.

“Uyo Senatorial District have agreed that Udom Emmanuel should be the next governor come 2015, Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District have said so, and today Eket has confirmed that Udom Emmanuel is the only governorship candidate they have for 2015”.

The wife of the Governor, Mr Ekaette Unoma Akpabio said “we have done our own endorsement long time ago, what we are doing now is public right.
All the female council chairmen and vice chairmen are here; so who are the ones making noise? All the original and authentic women have spoken with one voice that Udom is the best to succeed Godswill. I know that among all other people who are interested in the governorship seat, you are the best, and that is why we have chosen you to continue the uncommon transformation. The governor is a man who likes what is good, he knows what is good for the state, he knows that Udom’s feet will fit into his shoe, since the shoe is just one leg which is the right side, that shoe belongs to Udom who is right.”

The pioneer National publicity Secretary of PDP who also represented Uyo Senatorial District, Senator Anietie Okon said, “We are the Elders that count, we are the Elders that matter. We have agreed to follow our leader. Asiedo eded adaka eded ada, etieded abidaka mi nko ana ayakitie ano udiana amo adoho Udom. Udom signifies Goodluck, when you have Udom you have Goodluck, that means all is well. Since our leader who is the governor has done well for us, we have every reason to follow him and go the direction he points us to. Governor Akpabio has made Akwa Ibom proud; we need to show appreciation to him for leading us well by following him.

Today, our leader has presented somebody to us that will continue the greater AkwaIbom project he started who is Udom Emmanuel; he is a good man so we will support him being the best for the job. We don’t sing our songs in foreign land, when we have the mother of all rallies in Uyo very soon, we shall make our position known”.

Presenting the resolution of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District on 2015 governorship in Akwa Ibom state, Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien said that the stakeholders in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and the Elders came togetherand commended the National leadership of PDP for accepting to return President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term in office, and endorsed him as the sole candidate of PDP in the forthcoming presidential election in recognition of his impressive performance in office as president. “We also affirmed the earlier endorsement of our son and brother, Chief Godswill Akpabio as the sole candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District in 2015. We are doing this as a reward for his uncommon transformation of this state in all ramifications. We the leaders, stakeholders and Elders also decided to adopt Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel as our candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Akwa Ibom state. We also pass a vote of confidence on the state PDP Executive Committee under the able leadership of Obong Paul Ekpo. This decision cannot be changed by anybody, it remains sacrosanct, and we stand by it”.

The event was attended by the state Deputy Governor, Lady Valerie Ebe, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and Deputy, Elder Sam Ikon and Udo Kerian, other members of the House, members of the State Executive Council, Elder state men and senior citizens of Akwa Ibom state.