At the turn of the on-going rally at Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, an illustrious son of that local government and member representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency volunteered a narrative that should put an end to the growing propaganda that Udom is a lackey of Godswill Akpabio and that electing him as governor is tantamount to giving Governor Akpabio a third term through proxy. The inane propaganda, specious as it sounds has been played-up as reason why Udom should not be elected as governor despite his apparent integrity, industry experience in human and resource management, capacity and intellectual depth which seems to be an intrinsic part of his overall personality.
Hon. Onofiok Luke had climbed the podium to give his goodwill message and advise his constituents why PDP remains the party to beat asserting that he is a supporter of Udom Emmanuel. Onofiok in his narrative stated that some six years ago, he undertook a journey to Lagos. On arrival at the airport, one man offered to give him a ride to town. He said before dropping him, the man took him to his house and they both were fêted to a delicious meal of pounded yam even though the man’s wife was not at home. The House of Assembly member stated that from the airport to when they were treated to the meal, they had discussions on a plethora of issues. He said from what issued from the man, he had wondered why such a man should not be a governor of his State. The erudite legislator said that he shared that prophesy with him. And that was six years ago before Akpabio met Udom. Onofiok Luke concluded that he reported the discovery to Governor Akpabio.
Well Onofiok Luke’s story is in part, a corroboration to another story yours truly gleaned from a privileged person who does not want his name in print. He said that some years ago, he was invited from Akwa Ibom to a meeting in Lagos. At that meeting which was obviously at the instance of Udom, the now flag bearer of PDP had discussed his intention to contest for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State and had requested the person to join him as part of the think thank in that quest. But the person said that he declined then as he was already obligated in loyalty and commitment to another person who was nursing the same ambition.
The two different incidents sum up the fact that Udom Emmanuel as an individual had since had ambition to be governor of his home State even though he was not at home. And in sync with providence, it appears to be a case of divine ambition meeting a facilitator who is led by grace to join cause to chart a path of fulfillment for a praying people through the decimals of good governance and God fearing leadership. The unduly orchestrated comment that Governor Akpabio brought Udom as a subtle extension of his tenure seems to pay deliberate ignorance to the ways of God which are always miraculous. Our all knowing God positions structures that will always facilitate the manifestation of His will. I have often raised the remark that it is the height of shallow thinking for anybody to think that the events of this world are accidental. Nothing is an accident unto God and Udom can not be an accident to the State. It is God’s perfect will only facilitated by a man whose passion and love for the State would be difficult to find a parallel.
Perhaps the last sentence of the above paragraph may rankle people who have fixed mindsets about Governor Godswill Akpabio. But ask them of the sins of Akpabio, they blush and roam their thoughts with difficulty in isolating any reason. Yours truly in sharing sentiments with an anti-Akpabio character asked the following questions: “What is wrong with Udom Emmanuel emerging as the governor with the landmark pedigree he parades? The answer was curt and terse, “because it is Akpabio that is bringing him”. “And so what is wrong with Akpabio bringing him if that presumption is true?”, I volunteered. “We can not watch him produce his successor”, he retorted. In other words such people are ready to jeopardize their future and destiny on account of such petty consideration. It is the case of cutting the nose to spite the face.
One thing must be made abundantly clear. When you invest vision and labour in an endeavour, enterprise or engagement, you become passionate about its growth and sustainability. His Excellency, Dr. Godswill Obot Akpabio has demonstrated unbridled passion for the development of Akwa Ibom State. He has sacrificed comfort and sleep to bring the State to the pedestal it is today. It would be foolhardy for anybody to think that he should proceed to take a nap and encourage a mediocre to succeed him and regress all the efforts of the past eight years. His labour of love for the State will hamstrung him for such lackluster decision and posterity would judge him wrongly for such cowardice. His is therefore to be discerning to identify a person that possesses qualities that would engender the sustenance of the momentum of development while also being endowed with vision to dream new dreams for the State. And all those, Akpabio found in Udom Emmanuel in quantum richer than others hence his support for him.
Let us as Akwa Ibom people for once discard sentiments and meticulously examine the issue of who succeeds Akpabio vis-à-vis the interest and advancement of the State. Udom Emmanuel stands out tall and towers above all others. I stand to be corrected. He has the education, exposure, vision, mental fecundity, capacity, contacts, fear of God and the desire to bring about change. He has been tested and trusted in a corporate climate where such qualities are assets. The only deficiency Udom has is the bogus submission by his detractors that he is not a politician. But one wonders whether any other politics could be more intriguing than the boardroom politics that plays out in the corporate world where Udom had served diligently with impact for about 25 years.
These could have been the attributes that Onofiok Luke saw six years ago that turned him into an instant Nostradamus before Governor Akpabio even knew Udom Emmanuel. It is also why the simple sentence that Akpabio jocularly made when he said “my wife spotted Udom Emmanuel” has generated unwarranted storms as politicians are giving it strange connotative meanings instead of accepting the literal meaning of that remark.
The meaning of “spotting” something is semantically denotative. It means to observe, identify, discern. What was discerned or observed or identified by Her Excellency, Mrs. Ekaette Unoma Akpabio were the same qualities Onofiok Luke saw six years ago. As a discerning person, Mrs. Akpabio also noticed these qualities in one of the principal officers of the husband and may have shared the thought with him. And the husband in the course of speaking also shared the experience with his listening audience.
But those bent on spoilsports decided to corrupt the sentence ending up in a specious and dubious meaning.
Those not favorably disposed to the Akpabio administration and by extension the succession plan of His Excellency are bent on arraying hurdles and ensuring that he does not have a hand in who emerges as his successor. But others believe that Akpabio has acquitted himself as a leader that can be trusted. Incidentally those who think he should not produce a successor are in the minority while the larger majority are in toe with him, first for enthroning equity in the polity through the zoning of the governorship slot and secondly for the good governance that he has foisted on the State. Many believe that those who are unwilling to yield to Akpabio’s political plans are those power has eluded because they used it selfishly and the people decided to reject them.
They are aggrieved and as Rt. Hon. Nduese Essien put it, “they are now in Aggrieved People’s Party”. To survive with their grievances, they heat up the polity even when it is unnecessary. For instance, they started by imputing that Akpabio wants to impose Udom and stretched the parochial argument to the point that his interest in producing a successor is a subterfuge towards tenure extension.
Now the latest of this incongruous submission is that it is the wife, Unoma that wants to impose Udom on Akwa Ibom people. They are therefore calling on the people to reject Udom as punishment for Her Excellency’s support. One of them even added that they must not allow an Igbo woman to choose a governor for them. A woman who had long been married and made an integral part of the society is being discriminated against in the pursuit of base politics. What a queer way to reason? This sort of politics certainly beclouds reason. And when you listen to responsible people make these comments with glee, you fear what the State would be under their rule and what kind of values they intend to bequeath to generations that look up to them.
It is my opinion that Akpabio deserves our support as a mark of reciprocation for his commitment to changing our collective narrative and as an encouragement to those that would come after him. The bold effort manifest in his continuous work even in the twilight of his administration - Dominic Utuk rehabilitation, the ongoing hotel facilities being constructed, the specialist hospital, Uyo-Ikot Ekpene road and others - are testaments of a leader who wants to bequeath unalterable legacies that would outlive generations. This confirms him as a statesman and not a run-in-the mill politician. As a maxim notes, while a politician thinks about the next election, a statesman thinks about the next generation.
It is my conviction that performers are perceptive enough to identify other performers. We have noticed this in Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, a past performing governor who has wholeheartedly supported the performing government of Godswill Akpabio. As the saying goes, only the deep calls to the deep. Udom and Akpabio are both deep and they seem to understand the chemistry of good leadership laced with political will to deliver good governance.
Let the masses of Akwa Ibom people ignore selfish politicians who would stop at noting and would employ even the most despicable method to pursue their ignoble political goals. The people have had enough of their deceits. And so enough of the ranting of who is bringing who?
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