For a governor, setting up cabinet members to work with can be nauseating and difficult. This is because of the many interests that will surely come into play. You are confronted by litany of friends, filial ties, supporters and those who stuck out their necks towards the realisation of your ambition. It is indeed a large group of people to accommodate in your administration. In fact, the headache is not only attributable to a governor. It is a general thing. Anybody that is elected into any top leadership position that requires him/her constituting a body of persons to work with him/her is normally faced with similar challenges. That is why I once noted in this column that leadership is challenging challenge, tasking task and demanding demand.
You need to have a nerve of steel to withstand the knocks that will accompany your choice of cabinet members. The thing is this; you can’t overly satisfy everybody no matter how best you try.
Udom Emmanuel may have finally released his lists of Commissioners and other cabinet members but then, truth be told, he must have passed through a lot before coming up with that list that has generated heated arguments in many quarters over the overbearing presence of those who worked with former governor Akpabio. Choosing those to make up your cabinet is different depending on the circumstance through which a governor emerged. This of course, is applicable to Udom in the sense that he was the choice of his predecessor who many loved to hate while another section just hated to love him. Also consider that Udom was never a politician but a banker of repute and high standing. Hence, he rode on the coat tails of his predecessor and strong support from Akpabio’s men to the Hilltop mansion.
In such circumstance, it becomes even more difficult because when you win eventually, you are caught in the web of choosing your preferred hands and doing the bidding of those that championed your course. But it is a different kettle of fish if your ambition was not necessarily championed by an overbearing party who went out of his way to see to the success of your aspiration. While it is no crime to have people stand by you when it has to do with such a top seat, it all boils down to how this so called support and solidarity come. If you had been a strong political player in the state, made friends, had strong connections and all that, it is a bit easier because you won’t have to rely too much on some folks who are mostly bent on putting you on that seat to protect their interest. When you eventually win, constituting your cabinet members will be less of a headache since you will be at liberty to pick men/women of your choice and with few nominations from others to form your cabinet.
But it becomes a raw deal when you were practically compelled to run for the office with all odds braved and every law stood down to ensure you won. In this case, you don’t have the latitude to pick your executive council all alone. You are boxed into a corner. Your hands are tied. You work and operate by certain rules. So many interests stare you in the face with all laying claim to you and to one vital position or the other. It’s difficult and can lead one to breaking out with friends and severing certain relationships. So, in all, I pity Udo Emmanuel. I know how hard pressed he was as regards coming up with this list that many have understandably frowned at. I imagined the pressure that was mounted on him. From his family members who will see the position as a leeway to Eldorado to long time friends and loyalists, it was surely not a walk in the park for the former Zenith bank CEO. There is also a band of those who did all they could, spent money, mobilised persons to ensure your victory making a serious case for a coveted position or the other. Some, it is not just about them but they have other people they will want you to appoint into one position or the other. So, you can understand how distressing it can be.
When the list of Commissioners and Special advisers was made public, it understandably generated diverse feelings with some questioning why the list was populated by those who served in the last administration in various capacities. Asides that, there are also a group of others who feel they have been used and dumped. Most of those in this category could be his supporters who gave their all during the campaigns to see Udom’s candidature saw the light of day and all that. Pitiably, now that the cake is ready, it no longer goes round as was promised. This is the albatross of leaders. It’s normal because there’s no magic that can make you satisfy the yearnings of everybody. No, it’s not possible. But will those you drop ever understand no matter how you explain? They won’t. They want it now or never, but in the circumstance, you have no such space for them yet they persist in their demands. Problem.
Now, for the nominees made by governor Udom Emmanuel, we in this other divide can only wish the outlook of the cabinet was different but cannot really change anything since the deed, as they say, has been done. Just stick with it. While Udom has received some flak from a section of the state on his choice of Commissioners and others, yours truly only but wonders what he could have done in the circumstance considering that most of those who made the list played vital roles in his emergence as governor. Methinks he had little or no choice for one can’t betray the person(s) that practically brought one to power, at least not so quickly. That over 80 percent of those who worked with former governor Akpabio returned is not overly surprising because, to some extent, they are the ones that were in the field to lead the charge for him even when the tide was turbulent.
But then, people are bound to express displeasure and reservations over the nominations because these persons are already stupendously rich and will not go bankrupt no matter the ill situation that befalls them. That’s the truth. Not a few persons have frowned at those who worked in the last administration for the full duration returning. Some say it is an act of greed on their part to even nurse the ambition of returning to the state EXCO after serving for eight years in the out gone administration. Some people see the nominations as being the script of Senator Godswill Akpabio in his continued bid to exert considerable influence in the affairs of state even when he is no longer the helmsman. Well, while those in the latter school of thought may be stating the obvious, the reality is that discerning minds foresaw what is playing out today hence are not totally taken aback by the development.
Moving forward, one only wonders how Udom’s working relationship with these ‘old faces’ will be. Will they be honest and loyal to Governor Udom Emmanuel or will they be beholden to ex governor Akpabio? If that plays out, will Udom stomach that for too long knowing full well that it may hinder his drive to industrialise the state? If he fades out with their output and solidarity coupled with pressures that will come from his close allies, will he summon the needed courage to do way with them? If he decides to give them the boot, how will he go about it in order not to hurt them or puncture the relationship he has with his boss, benefactor and great teacher, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio? Another poser that will surely stare Udom in the face in the coming weeks is what his plans are for those who shouted themselves hoarse to ensure they were seen and heard to support him for the office he now occupies, How will he compensate them since most of these people did not stand by him for nothing sake? Will Udom have what it takes to withstand the pressure that will be mounted from all cylinders with many angling for one interest or the other? While we have no choice but to support our governor to succeed, our worry lies in the recycling of same old ‘faces’ in a government that is supposedly a new one. For political observers, it amounts to creating the impression that some persons were born and configured to work in government while others are just meant to watch proceedings of government from the comfort of their homes in their screens.
Not a few people believe it’s not healthy for democracy. To this group, it means the wealth of the land can’t spread evenly as others are not given the opportunity to step into the executive arm of government in order to contribute their quota to the development of the state. The by-product of repeating these faces is that most of them who had running battles with some people will still maintain that posture thereby keeping their perceived adversaries at bay. It’s not good enough. The overwhelming refrain in many quarters is that new faces would have dominated the list with, perhaps, a sprinkle of those who had already served in the government previously joining the team. On the whole, our belief is that these people help Udom to actualise his vision for Akwa Ibom State and not sabotage his effort.
In as much as most of them played crucial roles in his emergence, it doesn’t give them the mandate to throw spanners into his plans for the people. He must be allowed to work, empower those he wants without let or hindrance, appoint those he desires and take decisions that will better his administration. No one must be seen to be working against his success. Of course, if he fails, all of us will bear the brunt in one way or the other. As these people step into this new administration, we look forward to a new order, a fresh aura and a well branded narrative in carrying out their respective duties. All hands must be placed on the plough and no one, for any reason, should look back.
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