Emmanuel Ukpong Udo: The boy king

BY NSEOBONG DAVID

Recently in Ikono Local Government Area, Mr. Emmanuel  Ukpong Udo (Macaire) was formally installed as the political leader of Ikono Local Government Area.  There has been lots of speculations as regards his installation and conferment of the honorary title on him by his people.  While many say that he is too young for such a title, others say he is not familiar with the political terrain of the area.  But what they have failed to understand is that there is no progress in dogmatism, especially when there is need to change such dogma.  The only thing that is constant in life is change.  Hence, the change in the routine conferment of a political leadership title/position on someone who is “old in the system”.

Age is just a number and the most important thing in life is not how old one is or the number of years one has been in a system but in how much the person has influenced a people, or better still, impart the lives of his people.
The story of Obong Emmanuel Ukpong (Macaire) is similar to that of the Biblical David (1st Samuel 16:13 – 22).  

David was the youngest in the house of Jesse among his brethren, he was in the bush taking care of his sheep when he was called out and anointed a king and from that moment, the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he found favour before Saul; and so he continued his exploits to the point that he delivered his people from the boastful Goliath.  With God’s grace and favour on Emman Ukpong, Ikono people can be delivered from their present predicament caused by the immediate past administration in the Local Government Area.

Macaire’s political elevation could also be likened to the story of the Biblical Josiah (the boy king – 1st Kings 13:2; 2nd Kings 21:24, 26; 22:1).  Josiah was eight years old when he began to rule.  Because he was favoured by God to rule, he was able to do exploits during his reign.

Obong Emmanuel Ukpong may be “too young” in age as speculated by many, but I think he is a product of favour and grace to Ikono people.  

Leadership is about principle, focus, purpose, influence and impact.  If a man is grounded on principle, fixated on purpose, endowed with influence and driven towards, impact, such a person is a leader, no matter what his age is.  That is what made Napoleon Bonaparte to subjugate the world in his thirties, and Alexandar the Great could command a large army in his twenties.  Marthin Luther King was already a great leader in his late thirties and our President Muhammadu Buhari became the military head of state in his late thirties.  These were people who made impact, they changed their world and made the lives of people better.  As a result, they were honoured.  No one is ever honoured for what they have received.  People have always been honoured for what they gave.  

Obong Emmanuel Ukpong Udo has made a huge impact in the lives of people and his community.  He has empowered many and has spearheaded the change Ikono people have long desired.  His immense contributions to the growth of Ikono, his philanthropic gestures and his  outstanding qualities cannot be overemphasized.  As a nonpartisan and detribalized business guru, Macaire has been very generous to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), religious groups and cultural institutions.  

Apart from offering employment opportunities to numerous graduates from different ethnic backgrounds, he reduces the level of crime by engaging young school leavers in Poverty Alleviation Programmes through whooping financial donations to start up their business and become self reliant.

As Bill Gate rightly said; “As we look into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others”, his statement has attested to the fact that Obong Emmanuel Ukpong Udo is a well deserved political leader in this century through his empowerment programmes.  The crown fits him perfectly and all his people should do is to pray that God should give him the wisdom like Solomon, the courage like David, the endurance like Job, vision like Joshua and the grace like Apostle Paul coupled with divine enablement to be able to lead Ikono people to an enviable height in the political scenario.