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| Samuel Effanga |
Recently Akwa Ibom Unity group came into existence, why the formation?
Akwa Ibom unity group came as a result of a very strong desire to make our people free from a government of impunity that has derailed the culture of Akwa Ibom people, that has also derailed from the vision of the founding fathers of Akwa Ibom State and that things were no longer going the way we came to see by our founding fathers. Akwa Ibom use to be a place described as the most peaceful State in Nigeria, a people with high level of hospitality and our love for one another use to be higher. It used to be a violent free society, other people whenever they came to visit, they will wish they came from Akwa Ibom State and lucky enough by our geographical position we have been favoured by God, where natural resources abound. We have people well talented and have potentials of becoming great, people that can strive for greatness and by God’s grace with the natural resources located around the boundaries of the State. Our people are favoured by God despite our position but we became a State with abundance of resources. Despite these natural resources, our people are still languishing in penury and poverty. This is not what we saw by our founding fathers as such we decided to come together because we felt we have lost direction. Akwa Ibom people had to look at these issues and with the co-operation of progressive minded persons we decided to come together and form a partnership that can make things work to the path of greatness.
Talking about forming a partnership that works, is the formation of the group directed at any political party or any governorship ambition for Akwa Ibom?
We must sensitize our people to see that were we are is not where we are supposed to be. What we are facing is not what we are supposed to face and so many things are not just right, being what it is supposed to be, so this is what our people must understand to be able to decide, we must have a change, when the partnership now came and we now looked at which structure can key into our thinking and having found out that Mr. Umana Okon Umana shares our thinking for a greater Akwa Ibom so we decided to mobilize our people to share in the vision and of course the platform for change is APC and we also realized that the representative of that platform is a leader who has experience, skills, training patience, perseverance, he has the determination to lead in that struggle, Mr Umana Okon Umana is a leader that can bring us to the path of greatness.
Considering the political development in Akwa Ibom, which political platform can the people identify with to bring that expected unity?
The fact is that APC provides that unity platform. APC is the child of necessity as a result of Nigerians calling for change from a government of impunity which all of us frowned at and prosecuted the change agenda and APC is the party that has the philosophy we are looking at.
What’s your honest assessment of the Udom Emmanuel’s administration?
First of all, I’m blaming the economic distress experienced in the State on the immediate past administration because some of the crisis both political and economic are inherited, the person who was at the helm of affairs felt it’s a continuity. It is something our people should have shouted because of that approach. It is the same problem of impunity, there is a continuity of that impunity. The economic hardship today is a continuation, it is an inherited thing. The persons in charge today must first acknowledge that he got it wrong having inherited it that bad. Well, if I were to advice him, I will urge him to admit publicly that he got it wrong from where he started from but he made mistake by trying to cover up for the past administration. How can you continue with something that is not working?
Recently many State governments including your home State came up with quite ambitious budgets, do you think this is ideal given the dwindling oil revenue in the country going by your experience in administration?
Well, there is nothing wrong in having an ambition but you must factor in the situation you find yourself. Generally a budget is a projection of government income and expenditure. It doesn’t mean that all of that will come to pass, what is achievable is achieved and what is not achievable is carried on to the following fiscal year but the important thing is that you must work the budget in such a way that there are some things that are realistic. So if there are some things you cannot achieve this year, it will continue next year. There are short term and long term projections so that is how government budget goes, it may be realised, it may not be realised.
Still on politics, with the Appeal Court judgment, there seem to be a rapid defection of some PDP members to the ruling APC, how will you assess the development?
Well it is the situation you find in Nigeria, partisan politics in this country is not based on ideology. Politicians just keep moving from one party to another based on interest it is something that you will always see. It is Nigeria’s style of politics. I just learned of the defection of Uche Okunife who lost his senatorial seat at the Appeal Court in Anambra State and he has defected from APC to PDP. You see all manner of things. Some are a result of a very short time interest. Politicians in Akwa Ibom are not different. I see the defection more, a revolutionary movement that will shape the politics of the State. The defection will be more because that power is already in the hands of the people. You know the entire need for the movement is about some people who have been under some kind of oppression, bondage and there is a strong desire for them to be liberated. APC have offered that responsibility for the people to be made free, given the desired freedom. It also cut across political parties. They are a few people who are being held back because of where they are eating from and will reason that if I lose this source what will l eat? but when the chips are finally down, you will see an army of people defecting to APC.
There is this propaganda that if the standard bearer of APC in Akwa Ibom Mr. Umana Okon Umana emerges Governor eventually, he may reverse appointments of Annang ethnic group in government and scrap some parastals, is that the thinking of APC ahead?
Mr Umana Okon Umana is someone I have worked with at close range when I was working in the SSG’s office. We also worked closely when I was a Commissioner and he was SSG. I have a track record of his work in the civil service from one level to the other. He became Director of Budget till he rose to become Secretary to the State Government, to the extent that I know him, he is a man that will be a Governor for everybody. He has no element of ethnicity flowing in him. He does not even understand that these divisions exist, from the civil service experience to our political connect I have come to see him as a man who does not even believe that these divisions exist. Umana is an encyclopedia of the service having handled sensitive responsibilities right from the military administrations to civil rule. He is a technocrat and a bureaucrat. I can say with good authority why we are still having some regulations till today is due to his input, his contributions to all these administrations. The immediate past administration greatly depended on him in terms of civil service matters. At the State executive council then we relied on him on so many matters in taking decisions. That was based on experiences that he has gathered over the years. You see the political crisis in Akwa Ibom is as a result of the interest of some persons to take absolute control of the State for their own selfish interest. That is the real issue for them to divert the people’s focus. I see him as somebody who will reposition things. I can tell you from my position of knowledge that a lot of things have gone wrong. He may need to structure the service to make it work.
The present administration in the country has been on a big fight against corruption, sequel to this, many past public officers have been quizzed, what’s your assessment of this drive?
I must salute the president’s mission because during his campaign he did say if we don’t fight corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria, he did not also hide his feelings about the corrupt public service that formed the high point of his campaign which everybody knew he was coming to fight corruption and that was why Nigerians massively voted for him. He asked Nigerians to stand by him to fight this monster and they supported him to win. That was a government that impunity was a lifestyle, the government operated without any respect for the rules, as a result things went bad. Even as a PDP person that time, I was ashamed that President Jonathan could not face corruption. There were even some people in the national assembly who were involved in oil subsidy scam till today, how that issue was resolved nobody talks about it again. The outcome was that they were some people who where guilty but up until today nobody talks about it again. Ministers were spending money in a questionable manner to the extent that the CBN Governor then even shouted that they are a lot of money that were not remitted, these are things even as a PDP person at the time, you will even feel as a person, I was not happy with the way things were going and of course I use to voice out. How can you have ministers who were buying private jets, some two, somewhere buying bullet proof vehicles at very outrageous prices and in public service? There are things a senior civil servant should not do because there are rules for respect of the service at least for others who are looking at you, they lived a life of flamboyance, life that was not understood. A civil servant expectedly is a role model because every other person will also say I have the opportunity, I will also steal. It was terrible because at a stage we were borrowing money to pay salaries, the States were borrowing money to pay oil subsides. I heard just like you have that some past public officers were arrested they are making some confessions of their atrocities. Why should we blame the President? Some don’t even ask why did the President arrest him? Monies that were meant to serve Nigerians where used to pay politicians, pastors and marabous running into billions. Is that responsible? These are things we should condemn. Is that responsible? No, what they did was not correct. I support the president’s approach. He cannot fight everything at the same time but with time he will succeed for a better future in our public service.
Before I let you go, what’s your message for Akwa Ibom people?
We believe that freedom is very necessary and Akwa Ibom people will be free. They should be free to stand for what they believe. I urge them to participate in the leadership recruitment process of this State. They should feel free to belong to any particular party of their choice. They should go all out to achieve their goals in life. They should not be limited to the actions of some persons who feel they should not rise for lack of freedom. Our people should feel free and become great in whatever endeavour they feel they can excel. They should take advantage of the Appeal Court judgment to elect their Governor and not one imposed on them by an individual or family. God bless Akwa Ibom people.
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