Akan Okon: A leader that can be trusted

BY SIMEON AKWA

One of the remarkable things about the recent constitution of  Akwa Ibom State Executive Council is that, a number of Commissioners have been appointed from the immediate past Administration and some of them have actually returned to their former positions.

Mr. Akan Okon is one of those coming back to his former office as the Commissioner for Finance, based on competence, experience and good judgment and discretion of Governor Udom Emmanuel, who selected him to return to his post.

Mr. Akan Okon is a successful financial expert and a business manager par excellence, whose zeal and passion for service to his people and Akwa Ibom State is not doubt.

He is indeed a role model to many people, especially the youth, who seek to excel in their various fields of endeavour. In fact, the case of Commissioner Okon epitomizes what the Bible says: “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings”.

Mr. Akan Okon does not merely stand in Public Service, he is stabilized on a rich pedestal of experience gained by dint of hard work in the financial and banking sectors.

He cut his teeth as a banker in his National Youth Service days, when he served in the Lagos Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria, as Senior Supervisor, Loans and Advances Office between 1987 and 1988.

Mr. Okon progressed in the Apex Bank to become the Assistant Manager of International Remittance Office, before leaving there in 1992.

Upon his exit from the Central Bank, he joined another financial institution, First African Trust Bank, as the Deputy Manager, Treasury and Financial Institution Department and grew to become the Head of the Treasury Department.

His next port of call was Standard Trust Bank, from where he left as the Area Manager-in-Charge of Calabar and Uyo in September 2002.
First Atlantic Bank was to be the next stop on the illustrious career path of Mr. Okon. By the time he left, he had become the Head of Investment Banking of the Institution in 2006.

From First Atlantic Bank, he went to First Inland Bank as the Divisional Head, Investment Banking, and by 2009, he had climbed to the position of Area Executive in charge of the South-South Zone.

Okon thereafter, founded Fantixis Investment and worked as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

Being a golden fish in the waters of banking, it was not difficult for the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio to fish him out for service to the State. He was appointed the Commissioner for Economic Development in the government of Akwa Ibom State in 2013.

In this appointment, he also served as a member of the State Finance and General Purpose Committee. During a cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Okon switched position in the State Executive Council, from being the Commissioner for Economic Development to becoming the Commissioner for Finance.

In the new assignment, the financial expert was the Chairman of the State and Local Government Joint Derivation Committee; Chairman, State Micro-Credit Committee and member of the State Finance and General Purpose Committee.

There is no question that Mr. Okon, the worthy Public Servant from Itu Local Government Area, discharged himself creditably in the two portfolios. Little wonder that Governor Udom Emmanuel has selected him to serve in his cabinet, still as the Commissioner for Finance.

Obviously, Mr. Akan Okon brings to this new job, a wealth of experience and a determination to provide wholehearted service to the government and people of Akwa Ibom State.

His inputs, hinged on financial wizardry, will be needed by Governor Udom Emmanuel, as he seeks to steer the ship of Akwa Ibom State out of its Civil Service nature to an industrialized economy.

It is most likely that he will be called upon by the Governor as the State Chief Executive plans to provide entrepreneurs in the State with the lifeline of interest-free loans.

Akan Okon holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Second Class Upper Division, obtained from the University of Lagos in 1987, and a Masters in Business Administration, Banking and Finance of the University of Calabar.

He is member, Chartered Institute of Bankers; Institute of Direct Marketing; Chartered Institute of Taxation; Fellow, Chartered Institute of Leadership in Nigeria and Fellow, Institute of Sales Management.

As a Banker and Public Servant, Mr. Akan okon has attended courses both at home and abroad including, International Sector Accounting Standard training at Price Water House Coopers; London School of Corporate Finance; Oil and Gas Conference in Canada; International Capital Market Conference in New York as well as Corporate and Project Finance Course in the united Kingdom.

This is the rich background that Mr. Akan Okon, the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, is bringing to the service of Akwa Ibom people in the unfolding era of Governor Udom Emmanuel.