BY SAMUEL AYARA
Far gone with the winds are the era Akwa Ibomites were left in the dark over matters that directly affected their economic and political fortunes, as it was roundly viewed an exclusive preserve of well placed citizens, until Governor Udom Emmanuel identified both as what his administration would readily avail the people in his 2015 electoral manifestoes.
With a little more than a quarter of that mandate, there has been adequate will aimed at not only fulfilling the promise, but building in the citizenry a culture that would aid them dare the very essence of what will engender for them a niche in the positive direction the state is navigating.
Call it ambitious or the over display of it, several indices have pointed the state as better off in bridging the widened gap that hitherto existed between the “haves and have-nots”, through the bottom-to-top approach the current state administration have employed in down-playing the overrated place of well placed citizens over others.
From a social stand point of economic inclusion, no man would fault the governor’s approach to decentralizing cash power in the state to a luxury everyone can afford, so much so that policies and programmes of government are such that captures the hitherto forgotten chunk of the population.
From agriculture to trade and other turnkey investment opportunities in construction, services and manufacturing, the state has never fared better than now, as our best hands are getting commensurate patronage to keep their zeal upbeat and avail them a niche in the country’s league of investors.
A time there was agricultural development programmes were all about revolving loans, where people who had neither business nor knowledge of agriculture would intercept such funds for reasons other than investing in agriculture, and often made no effort at returning such grants to allow for other beneficiaries.
This practice of politicizing agriculture through the representative and quota system greatly impinged on the development of the agricultural sector of the state making us look less interested in putting our fertile clime to maximum utilization.
Investments in agriculture was an out of fashion order, until recently when the governor evolved means of putting the sector on its proper footing by ensuring only those with requisite skill and mastery of the different components of agriculture are allowed as beneficiaries of the boundless opportunities the sector offers.
It is no longer news that the Hatchery, the Seed Farm, the coconut plantation, the Fertilizer Plant, the Cocoa scheme, Rice project, Cassava programme amid several other schemes, are tailored to usher the state across various strata of social inclination into an era of prosperity, as the people are seen to now more than ever return to the farms in an approach that sparks resolve, commitment and revolution.
This all round holistic advent into agricultural development by experts is viewed as one that would have put the state on the front burners as an international investment destination, if it were earlier pursued; considering her location, climatic advantage and vegetation, which supports the cultivation and survival of varying products of agro importance.
Albeit, better late than never, with the soon to be completed International market in the state, it would be safe to say that Akwa Ibom in no distant time would afford key players in the international food industry a window of opportunity to procure farm produces directly from the shores of the state , while farmers would be receive the direct foreign exchange values of their labours, without intermediaries.
A delve from agriculture also puts the state as doing well in other endeavours, including the government’s agenda to properly position the state to reap from huge international investment in the ICT world and power, through the Oracle free training and power sector training programmes, which hundreds of indigenes are today making good livelihood from.
Politically, it is no longer common to have politically exposed members of the public complain about marginalization, as Governor Udom Emmanuel has strived to carry the rest of the state along in his exploit of maintaining a healthy political turf, devoid of clannish and parochial sentiments, which has made possible greater peace and unity from every stand- point.
The political harmony that has enveloped the state in the last eighteen months has been such that have deemphasized selfish political interests, putting the collective interest of the state ahead of party affiliation and ethnic inclination, to ensure every Akwa Ibom person has a positive feel of government policy and programme. These harmonizing steps have been widely commended safe for a few who are bent on mischief and fanning the embers of hatred.
From the grassroots to the national scene, it could be affirmed that the state has not been without adequately including every citizen in its forward looking political agenda of growing a strong and virile state, as political structures at the ward levels are given the required vigor to enhance leadership at that level, even as the governor’s keynote address at the 2015 Leadership Newspaper Award points clearly to his capacity to sustain the states acclaim among comity of states, signaling we have not fared badly.
Not many would know how he does it, but whatever has been working for him; putting all political indices to his advantage is such that should bring the rest of Nigeria to his feet for tutelage. Need I mention the all of a sudden reparation of the no love lost situation that led to the formation of the G22; which was opposed to his emergence as the party flag bearer of PDP in 2014, having contested the tickets with him.
The patriotism shown by a fledging component of the G22 membership which led to their supporting Governor Udom Emmanuel’s administration, may be a credit to their ingenuity, but not without mentioning the governor whose large heartedness facilitated such concession, which is described as first of its kind in our clime; previously characterized by unending electoral litigation and uncompromising stands.
Regrettably, in all of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s effort to see to the keeping of the state economic and political fortune on an upbeat scale, a negligible set of political jobbers have constantly stayed on the anti-people narrative, pushing to discredit every move of this God sent leader, to the chagrin of the collectivity of the people, who are prime beneficiaries of his manifold goodwill.
Expectedly, the entire state and her people have obviously grown weary of the antics of these detractors, but what we however cannot go to bank with, is if the rest of the country also know that the evil propaganda they peddle to vilify the state are never the true situation of things, coming from merchants falsehood who are deeply given to politics of bitterness and hatred that blows no good.
How they describe every beneficiary of the governor’s ingenuity as cultist leaves more to desire, they started their invectives on beneficiaries of the power sector training, and to think it came from a highly placed individual made it all too appalling and unpardonable.
The scream from a known mystic practitioner against the annual Carol festival of the State government, which in recent past has been funded through corporate sponsorship, may be viewed in all sense a blasphemy; as it is no way a political position, but a deliberate attempt to frustrate God’s kingdom and institutionalize darkness, but the people in their peace-loving disposition instead of confront the monster, would rather allow him safe haven in his paradise of self-destruct and pettiness.
Now crusader volunteers of the spiritual rebirth and moral transformation initiative of government known as Dakkada Ambassadors are having a share of what everyone in past that ever supported a just cause had to deal with. They are labeled cultists, for accepting a volunteering role, rather than appraised and commended for their efforts in taking government programmes and policies to the grass roots.
Coming from a young mind who should know better, calls to mind the question of where we are headed as a generation, when our consciences are freely donated to partisan hatred and falsehood, even at a time the rest of the state is upwardly navigating to the greater destination the governor is leading.
Thankfully, these lies and mindless effort from these avoidable minority to put Governor Emmanuel’s administration in bad light is seemingly getting deafening only to their kinds, as the rest of the millionth Akwa Ibom majority already know who to follow, conscious of their destination and mission for a virile Akwa Ibom the Divine Mandate is leading.
In the words of Ralph Marston who indulged that “we should never lower our expectations to meet performance, but raise level of performance to meet expectation” I will sheath my inkpad, but not without reminding whoever cares to listen, that true to type, in Governor Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom has found economic and political inclusion.
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