Akwa Ibom and the 2015 guber question 0 BY ETOKOWO OWOH ON JULY 31, 2014 · OPINION Earlier in the year, I had a need to see a friend of mine. Where we met happened to be where people of diverse political persuasions, with eyes on who occupies the Hill Top Mansion – the official residence of the governor – come 2015, converged. While they discussed effervescently about each of the possible aspirants, I noticed that not one of them cared about the background of these aspirants; none worried about leadership qualities each possessed let alone give thought to how their qualities could assist in addressing some of the many challenges the State is facing which should, in the main, determine who sits on the hot seat. All they bothered about was whether he hails from Ibibio, Oron, Eket, etc. this is an ill wind that will blow the State no good. In my interaction with them, I canvassed a rethink, submitting that there is more to leadership than mere place of origin and that ostracizing other time tested qualities that make for transformational leadership could spell doom to the State in due course. While quasi ethnic sentiment is understood, given the advent of parochialism into our national leadership lexicon and the penchant to veer development in the direction of the leader’s own area, I am somewhat ambivalent about Governor Akpabio’s mechanism in giving Eket senatorial district a governor in 2015. No part of Akwa Ibom State is in short supply of governorship materials. Two of the best governors we ever had in the then Cross River State, Chief Udoakaha Jacob Esuene and Dr. Clement Isong, hailed from Eket Senatorial district. There is nothing like superior tribe, whether Ibibio, Annang, Oron, Eastern Obolo, etc. Anybody, has the right to aspire. This piece is not about deciding for the State who should govern us, whether from Eket, or Uyo senatorial district. It aims to present an alternative thinking on the State’s development paradigm as a prelude to an informed choice of who our next governor should be. For in the end, we do not buy from the market with any ethnic currency. We do not pay our children’s school fees with proceeds from a tribal farm, or repair our roads using the limbs of ethnic chauvinists. All what we need is development. The questions that should guide our choice of governor in 2015 are many; and whereas where the person comes from is one of such questions, it should however be the least one after all other more salient considerations have been and put in perspective. If we ask most of our king makers (most of who are self appointed) their knowledge of the profile, pedigree, development philosophy, level of intellectual cognition, emotional stability, exposure to world view, etc, of most of the aspirants, we will be surprised how little, if anything, they know about them. Virtually all the clamor are not based on known empirical evaluations. They derive from excessive self interests that add nothing to the growth of the State. Who really should we give this cap to wear that will elevate us to the next level of development thinking now that what we have enjoyed in the last eight years is about to bow to the limitations of time. Every age and civilization has its characteristic ideology and institutions which both shape and reflect the essential meaning with which men see their lives. Societies have a choice to remain static relishing in self delusion by ignoring time in their decisions. Question: under what development dispensation are we in Akwa Ibom State at the moment? Because our development must reflect global standards but customized to meet local needs. To appreciate this challenging, we need to do an environmental appraisal, a diagnosis of our development content, away from politics and deep into the socio-economic philosophy of the time. This will enable us leverage on our strengths and opportunities and seek answers to our many weaknesses and threats. We are a people of homogeneous culture and common ancestry. We are a people blessed with high intellectual potentials, mineral resources, rich soil, etc. We need not mention the rich aquaculture. The State is blessed with good network of roads, natural harbors. There are tourist attractions here and there spiced with a variety of foods prepared by resourceful chefs. Yet, we run a civil service state. And our most staple foods such as garri are sourced from outside the States while our lands remain afflicted by low yields. Akwa Ibom’s development paradigm is more of modernization than actual development where most of the resources are spent on social capital as against investment capital; that is little, if any, revenue yielding assets. Not enough industries that are capable of massively creating employment for indigenes have been built, which explains why the multiplier effects on the economy is infinitesimal. I paint this picture to show how far away we are from the Promised Land that we are known as. It is to illustrate the enormous task that awaits the next governor of this State. It also helps the reader or the Nigerian public, to appreciate the need to eschew sentiments in the choice of the next political leader of this land of limited possibilities. The question is: what do we do to reverse these negative development indices? Our first take is to deliberately jump start and consciously grow an alternative economy that is hinged on the private sector. This will open up the economy, create jobs, stem capital flight, diversify the revenue base and grow internally generated revenue. We also have to recreate the civil service supplanting excessive kleptomania with entrepreneurial spirit. A framework must be laid with institutional arrangement in place to respond to the imperatives of the market place. Societies have a choice to remain static relishing in self delusion by castrating time in their decisions; but the world will not wait for anyone. Then comes the question of who fits cap come 2015 as governor of the state to take over from the incumbent Godswill Akpabio? Should it be a politician, a lawyer, an engineer, or an economist (what kind of economist?). Shouldn’t it be an experienced administrator? Given the challenges on ground, what Akwa Ibom state needs is a humble, patient, urbane personality with teutonic sense of thoroughness reminiscent of Dr. Clement Isong who, in just four years, built several industries in the then Cross River State? *Owoh is a Management Consultant, Researcher and Author and wrote from Uyo.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 04:36:58 +0000
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