Aniekeme Finbarr WHY PDP DELEGATES WILL VOTE UDOM AT THE PRIMARIES By Aniekeme Finbarr The PDP Primary elections to select a standard bearer for the party in the 2015 Governorship elections is just a heart beat away. There are only two schools of politics left in the state. The class of Udom Emmanuels teeming and growing supporters and the hurriedly and circumstantially assembled opposition camp who prefer anybody to be Governor but Udom. The true sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom State who will be filling out as delegates at that all important primaries will have the future of this great state at heart. They will know that beneath the armour of ideological rivalry and partisan leanings lay the imperative of collective conscience; that our unity is far more important than our individual differences. That the future of this state lies in the hands of a passionate, honest and creative leader with the interest of our land at heart. They delegates will be battle ready to deliver their aspirants but I trust them to go with a give and take mentality that’s germane to our aspirations as a state. The first and the best aspirant the delegates will go for is the baggage-free politician. Since 2007, Akwa Ibom State has witnessed the greatest surge in political participation. The political awareness has been simply amazing. The political era has also been characterised by shocking twists and turns. The fallout is that there is an army of selfish and greedy politicians who are individually angry that Governor Godswill Akpabio did not give them the endorsement to run as his successor. The system has become unnecessarily heated with falsehood, blackmail and lies laced with ethnic flavour. The sole mission of these aggrieved aspirants is to show the Governor that they have the war chest to prove to him that they are on ground. It is a revenge mission. The delegates at the primaries will ignore these set of aspirants. They dont mean well for the state and cannot afford to plunge us into a needless four to eight years of political warfare. The delegates will go for the fresh man. A man without any antecedent of acrimony. A man whose sterling persona is unarguably a convergence between creative imagination and unalloyed dedication to duty. A man who has over time contributed his ardent effort at improved human condition and a man with an excellent commitment to honesty and integrity. Oh! Udom Emmanuel is that man. The PDP delegates know also that the next phase for Akwa Ibom State is industrializati on and wealth creation via a robust government and private sector plan. To achieve that, you need a Governor who will create the enabling environment and attract investors. Investors do not put in their money in places they do not trust. They will ask a few questions. Who is the Governor of that state? Is he a honest person? How did he make money before becoming Governor? Has he worked before in the private sector or has he spent all in life in government circles? Is he someone who is likely to amass a lot of wealth to himself? Is he a wasteful spender or throws money around at impulse? Simply put, it is possible for government to create the enabling environment without attracting investments. Investors deal with people they know and have done business before. That is why Udom Emmanuel is the natural answer. An investment banker of many years at the highest level, whose area of specialization is in income optimization. Udom has been personal account officer and finance consultant for many of Nigerias richest men. You need not search for investors in another planet. These are the people we need to attract to come do business here. Udom knows them and they know him. They can trust him. Udom has been a licensed trader on the floor of the London Stock exchange and has by the license given him by the FSA been doing financial transactions in the United Kingdom. If you add all these to his personal commitment to the state project and his penchant for success, the delegates have a very easy task at picking who flies the flag of the party. Another important factor the PDP delegates will consider is zoning. It is that spirit of accommodation that will keep us in peace for centuries. Fortunately, for us as a people, every part of the state is blessed with leaders who can captain the ship of state. The truth must be told, it is the turn of Eket Senatorial District to produce the next Governor. Anybody who is not from the district and is still in the race is simply advertising himself for another office, not the Governorship. The people should not discourage them. It is their constitutional right but the delegates will not waste their votes on them. I know In spite of the obvious disproportion and asymmetry in the distribution of power in the state, a group of self-styled PDP Elders are championing a campaign to undermine the zoning arrangement in the state, with a view of returning power to Uyo Senatorial Zone that has over-enjoyed the Governorship seat of the state. The anti-zoning PDP Elders are not resting on their oars to wrestle power. But the truth shall prevail. If for equity and fairness, the zoning policy was adopted, then it is incongruous to muzzle a zone that has roundly supported others. If equity is the essence of zoning; it is not proper to deny that zone that generates over 90% in revenue to the state Government. Eket senatorial zone is described as the goose that lay the golden eggs. Revenue accruing to the state from oil and used to finance development in other zones they say is derived from Eket zone. The clamour to return power to Uyo senatorial zone can not be justified by fundamentals other than the tyranny of a majority. It is a clamour built on desperation. If zoning was upheld as a fundamental policy to guarantee equity, justice and a sense of belonging, it cannot now become a bad policy. Thus, the current opposition to zoning by beneficiaries of it cannot be allowed to stand. Zoning cannot be bad because it is not in the favour of a clique. A few dissenting voices will not distract the delegates. They will uphold the principles of justice, fairness and equity that are enshrined in the partys constitution. Like his predecessor, Governor Victor Attah did, Akpabio has been explicit and unequivocal in his support for zoning to Eket and so shall it be. Who is then the best man from the district, it certainly is Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. The PDP delegates will judge Udom on the strength of his performance in his current assignment. He has ennobled the office with remarkable skill, exceptional diligence, elegance and panache. He has demonstrated an extraordinary acumen in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It will be on record that wile he served as SSG, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a $1.5 billion methanol plant in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State, by Quantum Petrochemical Company Limited, a company established by the Founder of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Jim Ovia took place. A project that is important to the manufacturing industry. A project that would produce fertiliser, tyres, shovels, clothes and plastic bottles, among others. Petrochemicals are vital to our everyday life - the plastic bottles that allow us to drink sanitary water, the clothes that we wear. The fertilisers that we use to grow crops, the tires on our cars that brought us here today, the shovel that we will use to break the ground; the cosmetics the ladies among us apply today; the pharmaceuticals we take every day to enjoy a healthy life, are all derivatives of petrochemicals of some form. The importance of developing capacity within the petrochemicals industry should not be underestimated: petrochemicals provide the foundation for manufacturing industries; for example, construction, packaging, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, textiles, etc. Udom was strongly part of this big dream come true. The PDP delegates cannot miss this point. Udom Emmanuel is a detribalized patriot whose love, dedication, sacrifice and passion for Akwa Ibom State is legendary. A man who canvasses the centrality of morals in the dynamics of power. A classic public speaker whose incisive contributions engender responsibility, state building and hope. To the PDP delegates, Udom is simply a colossus, purveyor of morals, the Angel of history that has been so anxiously awaited, the peoples Prometheus, jinx- breaker, visionary, reflective scholar and a soldier of democracy. He is that corporate team player that will preside over the affairs if state with finesse, statesmanlike verve. diplomatic élan and consummate consensus. Even to an unbiased observer, Udom’s trajectory is a tribute to courage, service, humility, loyalty, integrity, generosity, resilience. diligence and spirituality. Udom has always pursued his dreams with vigour. He flourishes with a clear vision of his life mission. He pursues his dreams with incandescent passion, valour. candour and honour. Udom has so far displayed physical prowess, social renown, political mastery, friendly finesse, character comeliness, marital exemplariness and dispositional humility. Only the initiated, like the PDP delegates will appreciate that to achieve a sustainable success and stability in politics requires a combination of vision. passion, courage, intellect, humility, sagacity, perseverance, godliness and character. It is the consistent application of the above set of variables that incubates grace which is the summary of virtues. Grace is the je ne se pas that explains the mystery behind the profound accomplishment by a few in various areas of life that present enormous challenges to others. On the other hand, while most men grope in the dark or in their shadows, only the favoured encounter self realization and attain their full potentials in life. The grace of God is the most suitable vortex that underpins the life of Mr Udom Emmanuel. And so, the PDP delegates will courageously go out there and do the needful. Give the mandate to a man with the capacity to save the future. They will not be intimidated by ethnic warlords who are out to plunge us back into the abyss. There is this spirit that emboldens and stirs the passion, the soul and the tigritude of the average Akwa Ibom son and daughter, which once they are sufficiently provoked, becomes irrepressible. That spirit will go with the delegates and on May 29, 2015, Udom G Emmanuel will be sworn in as Governor
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 07:54:31 +0000
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