Udom Emmanuel: Birthing a new dawn (SERIES 2)

BY SAMUEL AYARA

“...I am not standing here just as a PDP Governor of Akwa Ibom State, but as Governor for all Akwa Ibomites, irrespective of political affiliations”- Udom Emmanuel, 2015.

There has not been a more assuring promise of loyalty than these lines as contained in Governor Udom Emmanuel’s speech at the recently concluded AKISAN convention in Arizona, USA.

The Governor had less to contend with since he was communicating in a familiar language to a people who already knew his pedigree. It was therefore just a forum to encourage a robust partnership in his drive to banish poverty from God’s own land.

As already known, Udom Emmanuel’s towering commitment to wealth creation has become the epic-centre where the future of our society would revolve, and in no little way has given credence to the direction the government has charted in the last two months, even at a time most states are wallowing in the self- pity of low financial fortunes.

Governor Emmanuel’s ability to swim against the tide of prevailing economic instability has become the most rewarding benefit of his emergence as governor. Through this emergence, he has been able to defend the masses’ confidence through an all-inclusive and people oriented leadership, where he has demystified politics to a service platform, shutting out self-seeking political jobbers, as he concentrates on improving the living standards.
We are sure to trust it could not have been this better without Udom’s exposure and passion at positively affecting lives. Corroboratively, his exploits at the Pricewatercooper’s firm, African Finance Corporation and Zenith Bank Nigeria Limited, leaves us no space to highlight how he has meritoriously acquitted himself of mediocrity associated with governance in third world countries.

Hitting the ground running for him was never a contentious issue having been able to assemble the best brains and hands anyone could have gone for, in the knowledge that a sandwich of good brains and great minds are unmistakable ingredients of any successful endeavour.

A quick check on members of the State Executive Council reveals meticulousness in their selection. Not only are pegs put in their fit holes, there has been a laid mechanism to ensure they maximally deliver their official responsibilities to hasten the state’s drive to industrialization and citizen’s empowerment.

In all fairness, no one has ever doubted Aniekan Umanah’s ability to conscientiously market superior achievements; in a bid to get the world gravitating towards our clime, neither can the stability offered by Victor Antai’s appointment, be questioned. Akan Okon’s financial mastery and Ephraim Inyang’s zest, not forgetting Emmanuel Enoidem’s innovative delivery prowess and Etido Inyang’s mercurial touch; are major composites of a tastefully cooked executive council.

Allowing youths in the ilk of Ini Ememobong, Ralph Edem, Emmanuel Udosen, Patrick Umoh, Samuel Udoko, Godson Uwah and others a role in oiling the government’s wheel of sustainable development is encouraging. And has summarily brought the governor to amity with the youths who have been so well engaged in the business of governance such that  if tomorrow never comes, they would have been sure they  had a fair share of today; which youths in other climes are denied.

The deliberate attempt to lead Nigeria to the path of productive economy may have been a subject of discourse for several years, the reality of these expectations are today finding its root in Akwa Ibom, as so much has happened in two months to de-emphasize crude oil, which has over the years been Nigeria’s bus stop.

Agriculture and ICT has become a new order, with Udom exemplifying the gains of a productive economy that would bother less about oil prices and decline. Agriculture under Udom, has gotten the boost it lost at the advent of oil, even at a time governors superintending over black-gold-bearing States are yet to consider exploiting other economic options.

In all honesty, when humanity is developed, there would be more emphasis on conservation than exploration, the governor in keeping with the global agenda of safe environment, has chosen technological development, ICT appreciation, and agricultural renaissance as the new order, choices nothing else can compete with.

In a bid to inculcate the consciousness of productivity in the people, the governor has repeatedly, reiterated on his administration’s preparedness to move with those who are willing to see the tomorrow he craves. Little wonders why Akwa Ibom should not be a focal point in Africa’s growth history with a man in Udom Emmanuel’s mould.

In achieving this, money would play a lesser than usual role, but a major factor in realizing the Akwa Ibom dream would be passion, zest, inventiveness and political will, these and more are what the governor predominantly possesses. Our ascendancy and acclaim if our attitude changes positively, would therefore be a turning point for the continent’s dark history of laziness and corruption.

Recall that Singapore has no natural resources but had to rely on its people and strong institutions to rise to where it is. The Akwa Ibom story may differ because we are blessed with natural resources, but we have come to the cross roads where such resources cannot be the reason we should be held back.
The administration’s initiative of sending Akwa Ibom youths to Israel to understudy mechanically and biotechnologically developed agriculture is not just about fulfilling a promise; it has more to do with building a future where hardwork and dignity of labour would be celebrated virtues.

The youths are expected to embrace full time agriculture at the end of their training, in keeping with government’s commitment to ensuring food sufficiency, and more for export. It thus behooves the citizenry such great relief, knowing that beyond the government’s multinational companies target in the industrialization, small and medium scale agro industries will also get the needed self-sustaining boost.

Udom Emmanuel’s courted obsession for industrialized and improved agriculture reminds me of how detailed he was during the campaigns when he promised to develop agriculture in every Local government he visited. These he has already achieved by ensuring all 31 local government areas benefits from the agricultural trainee scheme.

Away from agriculture, the ongoing training of youths in Oracle data management is another feather in the administration’s cap of industrialization. This innovation will not only boost manpower, but would raise the indigene’s bargaining power in a prevailing competitive environment, an idea that will place youths from the state on a more advantaged pedestal.
Demolishing the walls of bureaucratic bottlenecks that hitherto hindered establishment and success of industries has been a plausible commitment of this administration, and buttresses why he has been on an all-time-accelerating pace, in establishing industries as shown in the numerous groundbreakings done in the last one month.

The LED factory in Itu, Shoprite mall and the DAAR communications/AIT facility in Abak, are abundant proves of government’s commitment to delivering on all electioneering promises within record time.

In seeing that Sea transportation in the State is safe and at par with internationally accepted best practices, the distribution of free fire extinguishers and life jackets is in many ways seen as the right step in the right direction. These have gone a long way not only to safeguard water transportation, but also in keeping with his campaign promise of developing the land, air and water transport routes in the state.

Incontrovertibly, power supply to the state has not only improved, but communities that had stayed for long without supply have since re-united with the national grid. All thanks to the extra poise and push by the Ibom Power Company, in ensuring justifiable utilization of the state’s abundant gas deposits. This single commitment of government to power generation has seen many returning to business.

In boosting the state’s tourism potential, Governor Udom Emmanuel has in earnest gotten into action in ensuring Akwa Ibom is not just clean, but safe, healthy and aesthetically positioned to compete with any part of the globe. This he has passionately pursued through the re-launch of the long abandoned environmental sanitation exercise across the state.

At risk of sounding immodest, I can make bold to say that the state which prior to now ranked among the cleanest in the country, would in no distant time lack a second, especially with the citizen’s active participation and compliance to the sanitation policy. It is therefore safe to say that in Akwa Ibom, healthy people will be on hand to deliver on government’s wealth creation policy, while what we hitherto referred to as wastes, are on their way to becoming wealth.

The joyful thing in all of these achievements is that the governor has acquitted himself of political myopia, and has closed-in on previously existing boundaries to see that every part of the state including indigenes and residents, are carried-along in his wealth creation deal; regardless of political leaning.

As he marks his first 100 days in office, away from the stride in infrastructure boost as well as industries and empowerments, we can truly look back with gratitude that the State has come to terms with the developmental pace fulfillment, which true unity offers.

Congratulations to Governor Udom Emmanuel, who in 100 days have made count his promises through mandate delivery and an unparalleled allegiance to unity and peaceful co-existence.