Frank Archibong; The eagle has landed in Eket

BY ASSAM ABIA

On Friday September 18, 2015, the  entire people of Eket, from the traditional institution to the political gladiators, youths, women groups and the “foot soldiers” converged at Eket Local Government Council hall, Courtesy of the transition Chairman, Hon. Frank Archibong to brain-storm  on a singular issue that has remained a thorn in the flesh of the Ekid man for over a decade, the filthy state of Eket environment.

The young lad, with a baby face, now known as the “Healing Power of Eket” , the Oracle said , could have quietly followed the footsteps of the State Governor, Deacon Udom Emmanuel in restoring the lost glory of “Idung Nfia Enwe” but chose the glorious path of participatory democracy, giving the people a sense of belonging, by asking them to “Chose ye this day which god to worship, the dark god of filth or the prodigious god of health and wealth whose attribute is cleanliness”, a communal Oath.

In his opening speech, Frank Archibong lamented on what he has come to see in Eket Local Government Area, a filthy environment with heaps of refuse and waste dumped in open space, road margins, tank beds and drainages within the city.

This situation, he said, is highly vulnerable to any epidemic outbreak and breeding ground for disease – carrying insects like mosquitoes, microbes and rodents. 

“Equally disturbing are the illegal structures that are erected on drainages which contributed to the recent flood experienced in Eket few months ago” he added.

So, what to do?. Simple, he said, “ As a government (Transition Committee) we have, within our limit tried to sanitize Eket again but we can achieve little if the task of keeping Eket clean is not regarded by all the stakeholders as a collective task”.

Wisdom indeed. A leader who wants to succeed in the act of governance must not pull the people by the nose, he offers his right hand and meander through pot holes with them. He gets his people working his talking by giving them the opportunity to conscientiously make a volitional decision. The environmental summit was a session of give and take; papers were presented by experts and solutions were proffered to the challenges besieging the area in terms of cleanliness.

In his paper, Elder I.G Ukpe of the Ministry on environment and mineral resources, Uyo said government should establish environmental management policies and laws that will guide the operation, enforcement should be well established and equipped to compel compliance by the Public and that receptacles must be placed far away from the drains, adding that drains should be desilted of waste to reduce flooding.

Engineer Ime J. Edoho in his presentation highlighted the constraints to effective environmental sanitation in Nigeria to include, weak and poorly enforced public Health Laws, inadequate environmental sanitation education and awareness as well as lack of adequate Professional manpower among others. 

Frank Archibong, a promising leader, extroversive mixer, deep thinker, generous giver but prudent, is seen by many as the elixir of the lost glory of Ekid Nation. 

By pulling out the likes of Chief Ekanem Willie Edohoeket, a one time Chairman of Eket Local Government Area, who is now a traditional father, professor Etieben Akpan, Obong E.C.D Abia, the acting paramount Ruler of Eket, professor Ezekiel Ebitu, General Anthony Etukudo (Rtd), Hon. David Lawrence, Hon. Owoidighe Ekpoatai, Clan Heads and the who’s who in Eket for such an environment summit shows that Frank Archibong truly holds the long elusive leadership torch for Eket. There has never been such a mixture of gathering of Eket people in the past ten years.

By not giving credit to himself, Archibong called on the people to thank God for giving them a Governor, a son of the soil who is not just development – inclined but has a penchant for taste and cleanliness.

As Udom Emmanuel begins the renewal project of giving Eket a modern ambiance of development, the people must change gear towards self acclamation, a firm resolution to make a better use of the opportunity by God, Archibong pleaded.

The resolution, a deal between the people on one side and Government on the other side must be lasting, with both sides respecting the terms of agreement.

Succinctly put, Government will provide the vim needed by the people which includes the provision of waste receptacles at strategic locations within the Urban, provision of waste disposal trucks to some Villages and prizes to most cleanest Community in the area, the Chairman said , adding that the people must look inward.

Conclusively, the eagle, Frank Archibong, has landed, with the healing power to transform Eket in Keeping with the dreams of Governor Udom Emmanuel. His likes do not come frequently to mankind,they appear only at a cosmic turning point. The cosmic turning point for Eket people has come with the emergence of Udom Emmanuel and Frank Archibong. To God be the glory.