Reflections from Udom Emmanuel’s campaign rallies

BY JOSEPH OKON

As the 2015 general election draws  near in Nigeria and Akwa Ibom in  particular, political parties seeking to occupy various positions in the next government have intensify efforts to gain more supports and goodwill of the people to succeed at the poll.

In Akwa Ibom state, one man has come to redefined politics and governance in the participatory and true perspective which is the people’s oriented perspective. His conducts and manner of approach to issues is entirely different from what it used to be, he has brought sanity, decorum, respect, integrity, humility, and honesty to the political system that has now give some hope for a better tomorrow to those who never believe in the sincerity workability of government.

This man is the governorship candidate and standard bearer of the ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel (UGE). His words are his covenant and sacred pact with the people of Akwa Ibom state. This is one man who does not live by convenience but by covenant and commitment. Within the last few months, this young erudite industrial expert, financial manager and controller has travelled the entire Akwa Ibom state selling himself and his manifesto to the people in his quest for support led by the PDP, whose platform he intend to use as a springboard to unleash uncommon and unprecedented industrial development on the state and its people.

Having served as the secretary to the state government, Mr Udom Emmanuel who is also known as MR INTEGRITY is well vested with the problems and challenges Akwa Ibom people are facing, particularly in the rural areas which he observed during one of his campaign rallies that his government will pursue development from the rural areas to the city centre. This approach is to ensure that those in the rural areas can also have a feel of government presence and benefit from it dividend within a short period of time in office. It was in recognition of the fact that there is no government that can do everything with the period of eight years permitted by law, this also culminated to his consolidation and sustainability idea. He understands that projects not completed by the immediate past administration should not be abandoned by the incoming for any selfish or self-aggrandizement reason since it was the people’s money that was used to start the project.

Because it will take time for government that drives development from the city centre to the rural area to really touch the lives of the rural poor which may not within the tenure allow by law, hence the paradigm shift proposed by the incoming government of Mr Udom Emmanuel to tackle development from the rural areas to converge at the city centre. It is very true that government is continuous and will always be, Udom’s sojourn in the present administration as SSG has exposed him to various needs, problems, and challenges of Akwa Ibom people which make it easy for him to speak the peoples mind throughout the campaign rallies.

Mr Udom Emmanuel was able to analyse and touch the needs of all the local government areas, not just by way of political promise, but he took time and explained to the people how he will achieve all his promises to the people in the face of the current dwindling oil price. This is what is lacking inother politicians who are seeking elective offices with unrealistic promises. They go about making juicy promises they will never fulfil anyone, all in the name of getting supports. As a noble man, Mr Udom Emmanuel is well equipped with capacity and talent to bring to bear the needed switchover of Akwa Ibom from a civil service state to an industrialise Akwa Ibom where poverty and unemployment will be a thing of the past.

He is a man blessed with good heart and capacity for development, he is very desirous to bring the needed development to Akwa Ibom as soon as he is elected into office as the next executive governor of the state.Having served as the secretary to the state government, Mr Udom Emmanuel was very familiar to the challenges and needs of Akwa Ibom people, hence his boldness to make some practicable and realistic promises aim at changing the socio economic wellbeing of the people.

His electioneering promises are based on facts and careful examination of it workability, he does not say things because he want to say it and impress people, he say things that are realistic and achievable within the time frame he will be allowed by law to serving, having come to the understanding of the fact that no government can do everything. It is worthy to note here that within a short stay of Mr Udom Emmanuel in office as SSG, he left an indelible mark in the office which rekindled his boss confidence in his ability to deliver. He does not give excuses; he takes responsibility of his actions. Unlike his predecessor who spend years in the same office without anything to show, simply because he did not know what to do. It is true that you don’t need years to do what you know how to do, it is only those who don’t know what to do need years of experiments.

Throughout the 31 local governments, Udom Emmanuel spoke eloquently and decisively as one who is knowledgeable and committed to serve the people not for personal ego. His brilliant articulation of good ideas and programmes for the people across the entire state has continued to endear thousands of supporters to him which gives a boost to his support basedevery day. His ability to discern the problems and needs of each local government visited signifies that he was in touch with the realities on ground and the people.

With these campaign promises that is based on covenant with the people of Akwa Ibom state, they are confident that immediately Mr Udom Emmanuel is sworninto office as the next executive governor of the state, the people will see immediate construction of Ibaka Deep Seaport, completion of the international terminal at the Ibom International Airport, the construction of International Market in Ikot Ekpene, establishment of Sport Academy to consolidate and compliment the huge investment of the present administration in the Ibom International Stadium. Road infrastructure across the 31 local government areas of the state will vigorously pursued, massive industrialization, educational development, agricultural development through mechanized farming system, and many other things that has been captured in the divine mandate blueprint for implementation will come on board. Truly, the administration of Mr Udom Emmanuel is coming to set agenda particularly in creativity and industrialization. It will be an action government as all these things outlined will form a working document for execution of projects; indeed Akwa Ibom people are blessed.

The PDP governorship candidate has openly said that God did not give him global connections to cater for his family alone but for the entire human race, hence his undying passion and commitment to the service of his people. Hisentrepreneurial development in the state will be heavily supported by his colleague who is the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria CBN. His long standing relationship of trust, honesty, and integrity that existed between him and the CBN boss long ago will be effectively utilised for the benefit of ordinary Akwa Ibom person in terms of securing some financial facilities for SMEs available in the CBN for development of small and medium enterprises in the state. That is the connection he is talking about, to attract responsible investors and good business partners to the state for rapid development.
During his campaign visit to Itam market last weekend, he was very sensitive to the plight of traders at the market as he promised to immediately swing into action by ensuring that the encroaching water in the market is removed to allow free flow of business at the market. Apart from removing the water, his covenant with the traders and market women is to establish micro finance bank strictly for traders to get some financial supports to boost their businesses. Trust MR INTEGRITY UDOM EMMANUEL, the micro finance bank will not be politically managed, it will be well managed to achieve it aims and object of empowering the traders to expand their business and employ more people.

Based on his track record and antecedence in the private sector, the market women and all traders union in the state gathered in the market last weekend and unanimously endorsed the candidacy of Mr Udom Emmanuel and adopt him as their sole candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in the state come April 11, and other candidates of the PDP. The traders union and market women endorsement of Mr Udom Emmanuel came a day after the historic endorsement and adoption of the PDP standard bearer for April 11 governorship election by the 15 transport unions in the state.

The endorsement took place during a colourful rally organized by the transport unions held at the famous Ibom Hall Ground after a road and street show carnival to declare their public support for the governorship ambition of Mr Udom Emmanuel and other PDP candidates. The road carnival shutdown economic activities in the state for hours because all transporters ranging from long distance, inter and intra city drivers, Tippers Associations, KEKE Riders Association, APCOTMA, Tricycle Union of Nigeria TUN, Earthmoving Equipment, Double Axle Truck Owners/ Operators Association EMEDATOA, AKTC, NURTW, RTEAN, AKTMC, KORA, NARTO, TOM, and other associationsassembled themselves and expressed confidence in the leadership of the PDP since 1999, and endorsed Mr Udom Emmanuel and other PDP candidates.

They said the decision to endorse Udom Emmanuel was as a result of their careful appraisal of his capacity, antecedence, and track record in resource management which they found him as the best for the job that informed their collective decision to throw their weight behind him being the most articulated and formidable candidate in the governorship contest.

Having traverse the entire state in a colourful campaign with mammoth crowd of supporters and received overwhelming welcome in the 31 local government areas from political stakeholders, opinion leaders, and ordinary citizens, Mr Udom Emmanuel is very familiar with what the people expect from his government. And with the kind of endless support and unprecedented goodwill he has enjoyed from Akwa Ibom people, there is no doubt that Mr Udom Emmanuel is solidly on ground to win the April 11 governorship election convincingly.

He is not coming to compromise his hard earned integrity and reputations as alleged in certain quarters; he is coming as a competent and capable hand with innovative ideas suitable for the business of governance. His intension is to explore and unleash his business connections and tentacles spread all over the world on Akwa Ibom state for the overall benefit of the people.

This is one man who does not see his wide global connections as an advantage over others to demean them; he sees it as an opportunity for him to impact positively on the lives of people by using it to cater for them. Two things are what really drive this campaign of victory which is; first, the credibility and capacity of Mr Udom Emmanuel to deliver which Akwa Ibom people are so confident in him based on his antecedence as an accomplished private sector manager. His innovative ideas that took him to the pinnacle of his profession are one of the eloquent testimonies of his competence and capacity.

Secondly, the impressive achievement of the PDP administration since 1999 it came into power in the state is another strong factor that keeps PDP on top. Since 1999, a lot of innovations have been brought into Nigeria and Akwa Ibom in particular. A good example of this is the switchover from the analogue telephone system to the digital handset for effective communication. Infrastructural developments abound with steady power supply needed for industrialization. In fact, PDP is always seen and regarded as the party that ensures automatic victory for all it candidates because of its massive acceptability globally. This is why people always want to emerge the candidate of the PDP if victory is to be achieved.Another thing is that while the oppositions are busy with false promises, PDP is producing results and giving stewardship of excellence performance which people always go for what they can see already on ground instead of promises. This is a major setback for the oppositions particularly in Akwa Ibom which may always remain so especially with the advent of MR INTEGRITY UDOM EMMANUEL.