The shades of ‘Patience’ Okon

BY ENWONO-ABASI ELISHA

This adage ‘A patient  dog eats the fattest  bone’, is as old as the meaning ‘old’, but so many times we forget it until it is brought to our remembrance by waves of event unfolding before us.
In case you are wondering where this is going, check the title of this writeup you will get a clue or may be pondering what the vernacular word ‘Ime’ means. Simply! It means ‘Patience’.

Ime Okon is a known name to many in a positive light; the brightness shun by the light of his name has caused an aura of loveliness to his person.
Only those who don’t know give a wrong description of this light. Those who know, know. This ‘Patience’s’ light endures and its oil doesn’t run dry. It is his grace. ‘Where the light shines, darkness comprehended not.’

This oil of integrity wrapped with humility,  selflessness, team spirit, human-kindness, (add others) and above all Godfearing, are all in the quality of this oil which makes this light shines bright and steady in the face of wild-wind. It is just that it marvels many why the flame of these ‘good’ personality is not blown off.
Don’t wait to see, it will not be blown off because this is just naturally who ‘Patience’ Ime Okon is.

Rt. Hon. (Barr.) Ime Bassey Okon is a second term member of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly. He represented Ibiono Ibom People in the 5th Assembly and has been returned by his people to represent them in the 6th State Assembly (just in case you missed the link). 

Antecedents show that the aura of his beautiful being has brought him forward, every time he tries to hide, before kings and people who matters. No wonder the adage ‘one who cleanses his hands well dines with the kings and queens’. May be he washed his hands well and his graceful charisma has always given him a place in the ‘palace’.

In life God passes through persons to bless others. No wonder manner fell last in the New Testament of the Holy Book and when mankind was needed to be rescued, the son-of-man came in human form.
Not a politician and could have faulty picture of political analysis of the political terrain in the State. But I do know that ‘Politics’ is a game of interest. Only change is permanent. 

Through the buildup of the political lives of many who now have a ‘golden’ image which glows now, they could attest to the fact that ‘helpers’ in human forms where positioned along their destiny route who led them to greatness. And it has not been told yet when they declined such good gesture.
Then who are those mudslinging and building the calumny on another who also is on the road to greatness. 

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones!
Does it mean, you are in a gridlock today, you will not make it to your destination? You may not need that shortcut or wrong manoeuvring, causing harm to others on the way because you need to get there on time.
Patience, just as in his name has made him always stable with good reasoning that ‘what will be, will be’; and that ‘only God gives power to whom he chooses’.

‘Patience’ Ime Okon has always exude maturity in his dealings which gives him the edge above his contemporaries. The mechanism of his brain works faster in collating thoughts, refining it to well calculated ideas which are rightly patterned before relaying.

Those of us who were in the gallery of the hallowed chamber of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly during the inauguration of the 6th Assembly recently, could attest to the fact that the edgy public who were already tensed by the unfolding drama on the floor of the House that day, had to re-examined their psychological balance when the ‘Stable-Patience-Ime-Okon’ appeared.
Many expected to see a frazzled Rt. Hon. walk into the chamber due to the unfolding event which was not in his interest as one of the major contenders to speakership position of the 6th Assembly.

Even in the face of this, ‘Patience’ Ime Okon was quite stable. This alone calmed some grayed nerves in the gallery but suspense was still heightened on what is unfolding next as he was unusually calm.
He believes he does not need to struggle for what is rightly his, what is his comes. He seeks peace and finds it. 

This does not mean in politics there shouldn’t be ambitions and preferences. Of course, these are the key factors which even make the game exciting and competitive. Ime believes in ‘win-win’ spirit, not winner-vanquish. 

Those with win-win spirit always accept outcomes of competition even when they fail, celebrating with winners, knowing tomorrow might be his turn to win and will need others to celebrate him. That is the spirit of sportsmanship and those are those needed for this kind of game (Politics), in the interest of the masses.

Hear him, “Nothing really happened. What happened on Monday was that the 6th Assembly was inaugurated and there is no where House of Assembly will be inaugurated without the speaker.

“But the truth is that, I had the interest to serve my people as the speaker of the 6th Assembly. My brother, friend and also a grandson also had the interest in the person of Rt. Hon Onofiok Luke and of course, our party (because all of us belong to the PDP) had zoned speakership position to Uyo Senatorial District, but at the end of the day, it depends on who your colleagues want.
“One needs not to be desperate about any position. The important thing is that you are in the House of Assembly to represent your people.
“The issue of speakership is at another level entirely. You can not be in the House of Assembly as a Speaker without being in the House of Assembly and you are there, and the two of us were interested. But at the end of the day, somebody who wasn’t in the picture was picked because of the exigencies of the time and we are all satisfied. 

“The important thing is that we want the House to be stable; we want the House of Assembly to serve the people, not necessarily who is the speaker and who not the speaker is. We all have to join hands to ensure that the 6th Assembly is stable, that the 6th Assembly is delivered on its mandate. Whoever emerged as the speaker would have gotten my support. If it were Onofiok, I would have supported him and I believed if I came out as the speaker, he would have supported me. Even as it is, it is Aniekan Uko who has emerged as the speaker and that is the speaker whom we have to give the necessary support to succeed as the speaker of the 6th Assembly,” Ime Okon expressed.

To buttress his character content, he has given his word to support the speaker of the 6th Assembly to complete his four-year term and has even gone ahead to congratulate him on his emergence. No beefing, this should always be the picture in the political arena.

“ Don’t just look at the Speaker, look at the totality of the members of the House. If we cooperate, Onofiok is a cerebral member of the House to an extent, I am also an experience member of the House. We also have four other members whom are; the former Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Udo Kierian; my brother and friend, Rt. Hon. Iwok; we have Rt. Hon. Gabriel Toby and Rt. Hon. Victor Udofia. If we work together as a team, I think we should be angle to close the gap. But it can not certainly be the same thing if it was an experience person who started off the House. 

“I see the Speaker as one who is willing and ready to learn fast. We have spoken and I have given him my words that I will support him to ensure he wins.”

For Ibiono Ibom people, he has promised to do his best in the 6th Assembly to ensure that the areas of challenges faced by the LGA which include; Construction of the access road to the Palace of the Paramount Ruler of the area, Construction of the General Hospital and the completion of the Use Ikot Amama road, etc, are tackled.

His reasoning keeps him stable and focus  because if truly political positions are seen by politicians as a means of service, then there is no need to unusually influenced such positions to the detriment of the people. This Ime (Patience) Okon got it right.

This is his position, “ I want you to access the way you see me. As far as I am concern, I am very stable and in high spirit, nothing has happened. That is the truth. I will be in the House of Assembly and I will make whatever contribution for the advancement of the 6th Assembly and the growth of the State. Power belongs to God and He gives it to whoever he wishes and at anytime. So keep this in mind that though I had the aspiration to be the speaker which was not successful cannot push me behind. I am moving forward to contribute my quota to the development of Akwa Ibom State.”