BY ANIEDIUKOENANG
An age long adage says bthat empty vessels make the loudest noise, a statement which metaphorically answers the question of how and why a gold fish cannot hide.
In a time when politicians have turned themselves to town criers, making so much noise in an effort to gain relevance and broadcast how they have given keke or motorcycle to one or two people in a whole constituency, here is a diary of a man who dislike blowing his trumpets, despite his five star performance in all his political journey.
Rt. Hon Francis Uduyok, the member representing IkotAbasi Federal constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja is a man who has paid his dues in the political arena in the state and has at different times showed competency in shouldering the socio-political and economic burden of the electorates.
The odyssey of his political ascension portrays a gradual and step by step elevation from the infantry of Students’ unionism as Worldwide president of all EasternObolostudents, Special Assistants to a former state lawmaker, two term Local Government Chairman and now Member, Federal House of Representatives, Abuja.
This is in addition to a very juicy career he enjoyed in many companies and Federal Government parastatals ,being a professional accountant trained by the University of Calabar, and at the verge of getting a masters degree from the University of Uyo.
The gradual political growth which comes with much experiences garnered through learning from elderly politicians gives him a foundation that is largely unshakeable, unlike if his ascension to political power was a quantum lip or sudden metamorphosis.
The saying that a gold fish cannot hide reveals the circumstances that culminated the choice of a none noisemaker like Rt. Hon. FrancisUduyok.
In a time when politicians of have reduced themselves to mere noise makers with no performance, the portrait of Hon Uduyok presents the personality of a silent achiever, whose impact is better felt than heard.
Uduyok sees services to his people as his responsibility and not a favour to them, hence he prefers not to announce them, he rather make them spread across the length and breadth of any constituency his duty post locates at each given time.
A perusal of a list of his projects, services-delivered and achievements as a Local Government Chairman and House of Reps member makes one wonder if all theseare happening in the same AkwaIbom State considering what is obtainable in respective LGAs.
As a council boss between 2007 and 2015, he was one of the very few local government chairmen who could among other things attempt road projects despite the difficulty and high cost of carrying out such a project in the coastal terrain and topology of the creek of Eastern Obolo Local government. While many other local government councils were overtaken by weeds, he gave aesthetics to his council by building secretariat blocks, admin block, finance / Treasury block, ultra modern legislative block all in the Local Government headquarters.
He also carried out electrification projects in communities like Amadaka and iko, health Centers, school blocks, to many government primary schools in the area amongst so many other live touching projects running to tens of pages too numerous to list.
When it comes to empowerment, his ideology is that of the Chinese, that is better to teach a man how to fish, than giving a man fish. From his days as a Local government council boss, he has never been a rice and motorcycle politician, though he does it ones in a while at festivities due to the need of the time, but mostly he rather offered revolving loans for women, purchased over 30 cars as empowerment to supporters, and purchase of 4 fibre and 4 engine boats to ease transportation and constructed town halls in Isiotoyo andEmeroke communities.
As a lover of education, the welfare of students received prime attention as students bursaries were promptly paid, in addition to Sponsorship of law students in law school. Even workers were frequently trained and retrained, and over 15working committees constituted, a practice that is very rare and almost alien to Local Government administration in this part of the country, in addition to prompt payment of salaries and allowances.
As a local government chairman of Eastern Obolo, his interventionist projects to his people which cannot be captured by this write up alone because of the volume, made EasternObolo a reference point and a model in Local Government administration not only in AkwaIbom State, but in the country.
The fact that his name is synonymous to development and empowerment is well known to his people and this must have been the reason the people stood by him against all odds in an election fiercely contested by political heavyweights from the three local governments, including a sitting House of Reps member who the people unseated on his behalf, in 2015 elections.
Just as the people expected when electing him based on his performance in far away Eastern Obolo without him advertising himself but the people sort for him, brought him out of his golden shield and placed on his broad shoulders the audacity to speak for three local governments of IkotAbasi, MkpatEnin and EsternObolo at the lower chambers of the national assembly in Abuja, and as expected the legislator has not disappointed the people of the three local governments.
The impacts of Hon. Francis Uduyok’s representation to the people of IkotAbasi Federal constituency and the nation as a whole are better felt than said. For example, though a first term member, his astuteness and exposure has given him the courage to attain a level of relevance that most second and even third term members are wishing to attain. Apart from the fact that his contributions are always well received and treated with utmost importance, he has successfully sponsored up to three sensitive legislative bills in the lower chambers of the National Assembly, a feat that some longstanding members are still wishing to attain.
In the National Assembly he has sponsored a motions on ALSCON reactivation, motion compelling the House members to honour and show solidarity to the victims and state on the Reigners Bible Church Collapse (the video of the House of Reps responds of course went viral online), motion on creation of additional State constituencies in AkwaIbom state and Nigeria in accordance with our constitution.
As a legislator who was not only on ground but also had his eyes on the plights of his people soon after he assumed office in Abuja he pushed a motion on dilapidated structures and abandoned at Fed Govt college IkotObioItong, MkpatEninLGA,Motion on completion of abandoned projects at Federal Medical Centre Uyo.
He also moved a motion on the reintroduction of toll gate to raise fund to boost our economy and Co-sponsored motion on security on our coastal Riverine areas in Niger Delta Nigeria.
He has also sponsored some bills which are of national importance and have drawn the applause of public affairs analysts and commentators nationally and internationally. They include a bill for an act to establish Electoral Tribunal to try electoral offences, a bill for an act to repeal the export prohibition act, to remove restrictions on selected item that could enhance exportation of goods to boost the economy and pending Jungle justice bill amendment on past and former presidents’ entitlement act.
As an active legislator through hard workhe has spearheaded and attracted a lot of projects to his federal constituency which have turned the whole area to a huge construction site to the jealousy of other federal constituencies who are feeling that the state government is focusing more on the area, not knowing that the green chambers man is responsible to an extent.
He is spearheading the construction of a Mini stadium at Okoroete Eastern obolo, 4 Classroom blocks at Secondary Commercial School Ibekwe,IkotAbasiLGA, 4 Classroom blocks at Community High School EkimMkpatEninLGA, renovation of 6 classroom block at OsongMkpatEnin LGA, 3 classroom block at ifetown MkpatEninLGA, 3 classroom at IkotEseneAkpanNtuenMkpatEninLGA, 3 classroom block at UkamMkpatEnin LGA, 3 classroom block at Qic primary school, Ife town MkpatEnin LGA, Borehole project at QIC Primary School Ife Town, Store at QIC, Ife town MkpatEninLGA, 3 classroom block at Community Secondary Commercial school, Ife town MkpatEnin LGA,
3 classroom block at African primary IkotEda Ife MkpatEnin.
Recently too, even when most federal lawmakers were running away from the faces of their supporters and constituents due to inability to fulfill their promises of giving them a pat on the back for their support, he carried out a mind blowing empowerment scheme, giving out 10 saloon camry cars, 6 mini Buses, 40 sowing mechines, 20 grinding machines, 60 motor cycles, 10 tricycle (keke ), in addition to giving to Law students assistance scheme.
Rt. Hon Francis Uduyok who has been able to stabilize the polity and the political atmosphere in the three Local Governments under his care. With him on the saddle better days awaits his people who are already enjoying his stewardship.
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