Enoidems Interview with Community Pulse Newspaper I am qualified to be the deputy governor of the state- Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem ...Assam Assam is an irresponsible man ...it is very foolish for Okonjo-Iweala to sit in Abuja and say that only 5% of the state allocation is spent on Uncommon Transformation Q: Let’s know who Barr. Enoidem is? A: I am an indigene of Utu Ikot Eboro village in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. I was born into a polygamous family. I lost my Dad in 1996 but my Mum is still alive. I am married to Anne Emmanuel Enoidem (Nee Ann Eyo Ekpe) from Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area. I have three children, a boy (Godswill) and two girls (Dayeabasi and Blessing). I am a lawyer by profession. I graduated from the University of Since and Technology, Port Harcourt in 1998 and completed my National Youth Service in 1999 in Benin City where I served at MAMSA and a law firm called Victor Ebioson of No. 26 New Lagos Street as at then. I returned to Uyo after my National assignment and started practicing law in the chambers of Late Dr. Akwaowo Essien at No. 2 Oron Road, Uyo in 1999. I left Dr. Akwaowo in 1993 to start my Chamber (Enoidem & Associate) which was first located at No. 52 NEPA Line, Uyo. I later relocated to No. 2 NEPA Line where it is today due to increase and expansion of the firm because I had five Lawyers working with me then.I am a former University Lecturer, former Executive Chairman of Etim Ekpo Local Government Area, former Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, member of PDP Caucus, Akwa Ibom State and presently, a member of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council. I have served as Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal until last year when I was posted to Ministry of Special Duties which I am till now. Q: Though you have a law background, it appears your official responsibilities as a State Executive member and other political activities are denying you the time to be actively involved in your legal practice, as a trained practitioner, how do you feelabandoning your profession? A: I will not say I have abandoned my profession. It’s just that I am not practising at the moment because of my appointment into the State Exco. But then, my first love for the legal profession has not fade despite many commitments that come my way from other spheres of life. Life is all about service, as a legal practitioner, you are serving your people likewise in the politics and government. So, it does not matter whether you are serving your people as a lawyer, a politician or in any other office of public significance. But basically, I am a lawyer and law is part of me. As a matter of fact, I would have say I have cheat myself because I am no more enjoying the freedom I enjoyed as a practicing lawyer by the reason of my appointment. As a practicing lawyer then, I was my own Master, detecting when I go to work and when I return, when I embark on leave and when I resume. But ever since I got the appointment, I can’t remember when I went on at least one week leave for seven years now. So that is the difference between Emmanuel Enoidem as a legal practitioner and as an appointee of the Akwa Ibom State Government; but be that as it may, there is no regret. Q: Apart from the many achievements you have made in the political circle, what would you pinpoint as the major impact you made throughout years in the legal profession? A: Without any fear of being boastful, I can say that I had a very successful legal practice. I cannot remember when I lost a court-case throughout my years of practice. Anybody who knew me between 99 and 2007, when I stopped going to court, could attest that I was a sound, aggressive and critical lawyer. Apart from being dedicated to my profession, there has never been a day I addressed the court and left without taking up a new case from a new client, usually, a transferred case. I am not saying this to blow my trumpet or raise my value, it is an honest truth. I won a lot of cases including criminal, land and even election petition cases. The last case I handled was the case that involved a onetime Local Government Chairman of Abak, Hon. Raphael Edem. I had a lot of election petition cases in my chamber including Councillorship, Chairmanship, State and National Assembly and even governorship elections which I won all. I was part of the Legal team that defended the Peoples Democratic Party in 2003 when former Governor Victor Attah had election petition case. I was also a member of Governor Akpabio’s legal team in 2007 Election Petition Tribunal.In the University where I lectured law, I majored on Criminal Law and at the same time the University’s resident lawyer as well as other contracts on legal business. Also, unlike now, I read widely to deepen my knowledge on the profession which I was. For instance, when I was in Dr. Akwaowo Essien Chambers which was the richest chamber in Akwa-Cross as at that time in terms of books and law report materials, I read voraciously. That was why when I left the Chamber, I wasn’t found wanting in any court I appeared – be it Magistrate Court, High Court or Tribunal. All these also boost my career as a lawyer and I can say boldly that I had a very robust legal practice. Q:Having been in both the Legal Profession and the Political System, what is your assessment on the two spheres of life and your possible advice to Akwa Ibom youths? A: From my experience, one cannot make a good politician without a rich history behind him or her. In other words, you cannot be good without a good exposure and experience in diverse facets of life. Politics is all about leadership and there is no way a child or untutored person can be a good leader. The bible says, “Woe betides a nation whose king is a child.”Somebody who is just graduating from school is a child because he or she does not have any experience of life such as work experience to understand the value of salary. Therefore, such person cannot make a good leader. To be a man, you have to work for your basic salary and be able to manage it so as to appreciate the value of small amount of money. For instance, as a graduate, your basic salary is between Thirty and Fifty Thousand Naira only, so if you are able to pay your house rent, cloth and transport yourself with your basic salary, peradventure, you have other family members to take care of still from that is when you will be able to handle bigger sum of money. But if you leave school and jump into politics immediately, you can never appreciate the value of money, this is because the scaling of political office holders’ monthly entitlement is not what a basic salary earner should earned. So if immediately after coming out from school you jump into politics and luckily you become a Personal Assistant, Special Adviser with monthly entitlement of Two hundred and Fifty Thousand or more, you will have a very erroneous impression about value of money that can either mar or make you.In fact, if care is not taken you can crash along the line because at that level, you will start demanding higher than what suit your status as a young graduate. Therefore, I believe that for you to be a good politician, you must have a unique experience either as a businessman or as a civil servant. With that, you will have a rich background and good exposure to the society. To me, one should have been at least ten years exposed to the society after school before being given a leadership position.In summary, my advice to young people is that they should not jump into politics straight from school. They should be patient, learn to leave by themselves and understand the dynamics of the society else they will be living on false perception of life. Even the bible also says: “The followers of those who have through faith and patient obtain the promise….” Any man who is patient, will definitely meet the presence of God because by being patient, it means you are waiting on God.I personally had such exposure before I joined politics. There was a time I had three jobs in this state simultaneously. One, as the State Treasurer of the Peoples Democratic Party; two, as a University Lecturer and three, as a practicing lawyer. I managed all the three jobs within the working hours without lacking behind in any of it, though it required a lot of energy; but that was because I was preparing myself to be a man so as to be able to handle bigger responsibilities. As I said, I started practicing law in 1999 and then I become a commissioner in 2007 – that means I spent 6 years in my private life after school to experience the society and learned the value of money. Those were the days of my little beginning as the bible puts it – “Respect the days of your little beginning and don’t despise your youthful days.” So there is need for mentorship and patient because greatness does not start in a day. Q:As a lawyer in the State Executive Council, if you are to criticize the state and the nation’s constitution, especially as regards immunity, what would be your views? . A:Immunity is a two edged sword. It is good for the prestige of the office concerned. There is an ancient belief that “a king is never wrong”. This belief is still one of the pillars and hallmark of the British Government till today. They believe that a King or Queen cannot be wrong. Similarly, here in Nigeria the President or Governor is a king or a queen in the case of a woman. It is expected that for the honour and integrity of the office in question, they should live above board. That is the concept of immunity clause. It’s only that as a country, there is a tendency for corruption and abuse of office to abound and that is the reason people are opposing the constitutional immunity but in the true sense of it, immunity is good for the prestige of the office which is an embodiment of the personality of the state. The office of the President and Governor is the national and state identity of the country and state respectively as such one should not expect the president or the governor to be dragged to court. So as a lawyer, I still stand to support the provision of immunity clause in the constitution.But then, let it be understood that immunity has a terminal point and that is as long as you remain in the office concerned, it does not last forever. As such, whatever atrocities you commit while in office, you can be called upon to answer questions when you vacate the office. Q: The zoning of governorship position in Akwa Ibom State to Eket Senatorial District is causing murmuring, what is your take on this? A: The crash legalistic argument could be that the rotation of power or zoning is not constitutional in the country, it is correct. But as a lawyer, I can say that the issue of federal character is a provision of the same constitution. Federal Character means a federating unit of the country or state. At the country level, the federating unity is the state; Senatorial District is the federating unit at the state while Wards are the federating unit at the local government level. Then, the constitution says that each federal character must be represented when making provision for appointment and this can also be applied in the state like Akwa Ibom in terms of who holds what office based on the Senatorial District tripod.Aside that, looking at it from the natural phenomenon, there is what is called Justice and fairness which is basically an unwritten law laid down by God himself for good conscience that must also be put into consideration when considering the governorship position come 2015. In 1999 when PDP was started, I was privileged to be among the elders of this state in Chief Don Etiebet’s house where it was clearly stated that the new governor under the new dispensation of democratic government which started in May 1999 should come from Uyo Senatorial District. I was present in Etiebet’s parlour when that decision was taken and that was what Don Etiebet used to justify why he brought Obong Victor Attah as Governor. So the decision was that Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District will have their turn after Uyo and to be followed by Eket Senatorial District. It was very clear to everyone that was present. Q: [Cuts in] So are you implying that that was the kickoff point of zoning of governorship position in Akwa Ibom State? A:Yes. I recently told Don Etiebet that he was the one who masterminded the Zoning of Governorship in Akwa Ibom State. Q:[cut in] That means you also support zoning? A: Yes. I support zoning. As a matter of principle, I believe in zoning, fairness and equitable distribution of resources and political offices in Akwa Ibom State.If you believe on zoning as a matter of principle, what is your position on the interruption of zoning arrangement in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District’s seat which some people are not comfortable with on grounds that former Abak five, precisely, Abak Federal Constituency should produce the next Senator?I respect zoning, but then, zoning is made for man and not vice versa. It is for the benefit of man and not otherwise, so it can be re-arranged on agreement. The first Senator in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District under this new dispensation was Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien from Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003. The second person was Senator Itak Bob Ekarika from Ukanfun-Oruk Anam Federal (former Abak) between 2003 and 2007. In 2007, Senator Aloysius Etok from Ikono Federal Constituency went so naturally it was Abak Federal Constituency that should taken their turn in 2011, but the Governor said since he (the Governor) is from Anang tribe of the same Senatorial District with Ikono Federal Constituency is enjoying the governorship seat for the second time, it was also necessary to allow the Ibibio brothers (Ikono Federal Constituency) to continue the Senatorial Seat but that was the turn of Abak Federal Constituency. I don’t think there is anything fairer than that because outside that, Ikono Federal Constituency wouldn’t have the opportunity to return to the senate. So if we are to go by that, Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency supposed to produce the next Senator. However, that is not my argument. The issue is we the leaders of Abak Federal Constituency sat down and said though we know it is our turn to go for Senate in 2015, let us give it out to Governor Akpabio as a reward for giving us good roads in Abak Federal Constituency that connect the area with Akwa Ibom State because before then, the people of Abak Federal Constituency used to link with the neigbouring states like Abia and Rivers States for business or any other activities due to lack of access road to Uyo but now whether somebody is in Etim Ekpo, Ukanafun or Ika he or she can easily access Uyo within some minutes. That is why we decided to reward Governor Akpabio with our own slot for Senate to show appreciation for such dividends of democracy, it is a concession that we made and we are happy we made it. We are not throwing it away; it is just anybody who has a right can wave it. Don’t forget that I was one of the forefront aspirants for the Senate Seat in 20II but the governor asked me to step down for Aloysius Etok and continue to work with him. So if not that we unanimously agreed to let go the Abak 2015 Senate Slot for the Governor, I would have been one of the persons vying for the Senate Seat but rather I am even the advocator for Akpabio’s Senate 20I5. Q: Were all the elders in Abak Federal Constituency present at the meeting? A: Politics, like democracy, is a game of number; the majority will always carry the vote. All the elders of Abak Federal Constituency were invited to the meeting and a greater number came and make the decision. One cannot be compelled to attend the meeting. Q: What advice do you have for other constituents of Abak who do not share in your opinion? A: It is true that everybody cannot share my opinion, but my advice to them is that they should see this politics as a game. They should know that if there is no chance for Abak Federal Constituency to produce a Senator in 2015, there will be chance in 2019. Chances are always there. What we should pray for is life. Aside that, we don’t have anybody in Abak Federal constituency that would have been able to represent Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the senate come 2015 as Godswill Akpabio will do. I am not saying this because I am his commissioner, it is the truth. It is only Governor Akpabio that has what it takes to represent Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and Akwa Ibom State by extension. He has gotten enough experience, exposure, connections and above all, he is politically rich. So when we talk about 2015 Senate in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, let us not talk about zoning alone, but also qualification, personal background, capability, competence because all these are comparing factors. Q: The Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonji Iweala allegedly in a recent media statement said that the much talk about Uncommon Transformation in Akwa Ibom State is done with only 5% of the total amount of the state allocation. As the Commissioner for Special Duties, what is your take on this? A: I have not confirmed if she has made such statement and I just hoped she did not make. But if she did, it is the most regrettable and most irrational statement that anybody has ever made from such a high office. Such statement would have been a gross ignorant on the part of the Honourable Minister. Why I am saying this is that I have been in this government from inception and I can state clearly that if there is any government that is transparent, committed, dedicated and solicitous in developing Akwa Ibom State, it is Chief Godswill Akpabio’s government. So for the Minister to say that Governor Akpabio is using 5% of the total state allocation for Uncommon Transformation, I don’t know how much money Akwa Ibom State has received and where she took her statistics. Is she aware that the initial costing of the Akwa Ibom International Stadium was about Sixty Two Billion Naira but when considering the facilities that are being used in building the stadium, it is obvious that by the time the final account will be taken, it will be more than that? Is she talking about the dualization of Ikot Oku Ikono - Nkim Itam Road, the new Ring Road, Flyovers, E-library, and the new Governor’s lodge which at the exit of Obong Attah in 2007 that place was a semi forest? Is it the Akwa Ibom International Airport or the Le Meridian Hotel that she is talking about? Does she know that the 2Ist century Hospital at Itam Junction was cost at 22billion and yet we have not done finishing? That is why it will be very irrational, irresponsible and out of ignorant for anybody to say that Akwa Ibom State is spending only 5% of its total allocations on projects. I am challenging anybody to go and take costing of all these projects and compared with the records we have. Q: [Cuts in] but why is the State Government not responding? A: It is because we are not sure if the Minister had made the statement. But even if she made it, I believe it is better to ignore such an ignorant ranting than to join issues. The Akwa Ibom State Uncommon Transformation is an open testimony that anyone can come and access. The projects are not phantoms; let the Minster bring a team of auditors to access the projects one by one so as to know what it cost rather than sitting down in her office to criticize a responsible government like Governor Akpabio’s government baselessly. It would be very foolish for anybody to sit in Abuja and say that less than 5% of allocations is being spent on Uncommon Transformation. Q: One of the Akpabio’s former commissioner who was the State Attorney General but now the Nigerian Ambassador to Russia, Chief Assam Assam is presently not seeing anything good in Akpabio’s government. What is your comment? A: I have a lot of reservation on Assam Assam because he was part of this government from inception. At first, he was honorary adviser and later Commissioner for Justice and the State Attorney General. He defended this government on many foray and used to give many testimonies on Akpabio’s good performance and godly lifestyle. But today, because he wants to contest for 2015 governorship election, he is now condemning the same government he was part of and was defending at all times. I am not surprised because Assam Assam has always been a critic of all government; he criticized Attah’s government to last point. Criticism is supposed to be factual and not class condemnation or judgmental. Anybody who takes criticism as a way of life is not a responsible person. If Assam Assam was not nominated by Governor Akpabio to be appointed the Nigeria Ambassador to Russia he would have still remained in this government till today but would he have said what he saying today? Off course, no! This is a man who went to United State of America to file a case against one Thompson Essien when he (Thompson) accused Akpabio of being a murderer, but today he is the same man who says that Akpabio is an experienced killer. Is he not speaking from both sides of his mouth? Is that not irresponsibility from a man of that capacity. I leave him for history and prestige to judge. Let his children, grandchildren and neighbours judge him. Q: Could this be one of the reasons Akwa Ibom People are harping on reconciliation in the state? A: I don’t know what they mean by reconciliation, but I can say that the only issue we have on ground now which seems to divide us is: “Who takes over as Governor in 2015? Who becomes the next Senator or the House of Representative Member? There is no meaningful Akwa Ibom person that can criticize Akpabio’s government in terms of performance. Those who travel frequently and to many places will confirm that the only city that can be compared with Akwa Ibom State is Abuja; not even Lagos or Port Harcourt. All criticisms now is on who takes over from Governor Akpabio and it’s a matter of politics and 20I5. Q: The governor’s body language seems to be supporting Udom Emmanuel for 20I5 governorship election and that you are likely to be picked as Deputy. How true is that? A: If you ask me whether I will support Udom to be the next governor of Akwa Ibom State, I will say yes. In fact, I will support him openly and will be very proud of that. I know all the aspirants for the 2015 governorship in Akwa Ibom State and I have worked very closely with them except those that have not declared yet. I know what each of them can do as well as their sentiments and expectations on the race. So having assessed all of them, the truth is that Udom is the best, not just because he is an Akwa Ibom son, but from Eket Senatorial District which have the turn to produce the next Governor. He has the exposure, intelligence, capacity and connections to take Akwa Ibom to the next level of economic development and industrialization. Before now, Udom Emmanuel was playing international politics and that alone gives him the background that links him up with other cooperate bodies and individual in the world who can come in here and give us a helping hand on industrialization and business opportunities. He was dealing with money at international level; that is international politics and the most critical politics that anyone can ever play. That also makes him the most intelligent aspirant because having played international politics he was dealing with intelligent people of international standard which he stood tall in this class.Talking about me deputizing Udom in 2015, it is a funny statement and Akwa Ibom people are known for that. It is only in Akwa Ibom State that people know and be very certain of who will be the Deputy Governor when the Governor has not even emerge. However, I can serve in any capacity and I am qualified to be the Deputy Governor having served Akwa Ibom State for 7 years. So if I am appointed the Deputy Governor, I will accept it but we cannot be talking about the Deputy Governor when we don’t even have the governor yet.So as a politician how do you see the Governor’s support for Udom?I am not saying that Governor Akpabio is supporting Udom neither do I say that he is not supporting him. It is left for the governor to decide and I believe he will do that at appropriate time because any leader who runs away from issue of succession is not a good leader and does not worth his salt. So as a good leader, Akpabio must have a successor in order to sustain his Uncommon Transformation and I believe it will be Udom. Q: .Other governorship aspirants are expressing fear that Governor Akpabio is threatening and intimidating them from contesting owing to the governor’s alleged statement that his opponents would die like Absalom, what is your view on this? A: Those aspirants misrepresented the Governor on that statement. They don’t say it correctly as you are saying. What the Governor said was that his betrayals and traitors will die like traitors. So the question is, who are the traitors? All those who were in government and after leaving the government they betrayed and blackmailed the Governor are traitors. Once you are in government, you owe that government the duty to respect, protect the interest and keep the secret of that government else you are a betrayer. But here in Akwa Ibom State, the day people leave office, that same day, they will want to bring down the government, therefore they are like Absalom who wanted to bring down his father David from the throne and died a natural death. That was what the governor meant; you cannot bring down your father or his integrity and go scot free. He was quoting the Bible just like any other person would do. Q: What do you think will be the influence of the Presidency and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party on Akwa Ibom 2015 Guber? A: From all indications, President Jonathan will also contest election in 2015, so I think he will be concentrating on his Presidential election while others will be doing their own. That means everybody will have their own responsibility. But that is notwithstanding, the President will also look for vote in Akwa Ibom and by so doing, he will give Akwa Ibom State a strong support and who will he give that support? The Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, because he is the leader of the party in Akwa Ibom State and also his friend. It can never be another person that will enjoy the support of the Presidency because President Jonathan and Governor Akpabio are too close for anybody to think that the President will not support Governor Akpabio to produce his successor.Talking about the Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, don’t forget that Governor Akpabio is a core party man and a respectable one for that. He is respected by the party from state to national level because of the records of his achievement and success in making Akwa Ibom State a model state for PDP to showcase. PDP as a party in Nigeria cannot boast of its success in governance for the past 15 years without making Akwa Ibom the reference point. So how then somebody would thinks that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party would turn down the man who has made them proud? It is very far from truth. Both the Presidency and the party leadership will all work with the Governor Akpabio to produce his successor; just at the Governor will also work with them to make sure that Goodluck Jonathan wins the 2015 presidential election. That is why any politician who does any calculation other than that or contemplates otherwise is ignorant and illiterate.But what if Governor Akpabio later changes his mind from supporting Udom Emmanuel?The Governor has not told me that he is supporting Udom Emmanuel for 2015 Governorship election, I only worked out that by myself following his body movement. I have been with him for seven years now and have learned to understand him. I know that as a man of principle, he will support Udom having known that Udom Emmanuel is better than any other aspirant on ground now. Q: Former Uyo market has been taken over by criminals for their activities, what is the action of the state government on that? A: We have heard of the criminal tendencies around the place. Possibly, we will soon clean up that place to deny them that habitation. We are planning to develop the place for mixed use – both office and residential apartment. The designs are ready but the problem is money. So, since we cannot just build anything there because of its strategic location, we are waiting for the time we will have money to build the kind of structures that we are planning to build. It will not be market again because it is in the heart of Uyo. Q: As the first person to sit on the HOT SEAT, what message do you have for the media and journalist in particular? A: First of all, I congratulate the HOT SEAT team and Community Pulse in general for giving me the opportunity to officially kick-start the HOT SEAT and to also be the first personality to sit on it. Indeed, it is an honour and I valued the opportunity, friendship and recognition. I believe not only me, both the government and the general public are impressed by the level of responsibility and professionalism in Community PulseNewspaper. Though there was a time I used to quarrel with your Publishers, Uko Umoh, for much criticism on the government. I am happy that Community Pulse and few others are progressively minded. I am not saying you shouldn’t criticize the government, but when you go as far as reporting falsehood against the government in the name of criticism, it is alarming because it becomes an attack. I cannot say this to all newspapers because there are some which is published with primary aim of bringing down the government whether it does anything good or bad, so one better bothered not talk with such papers.I am also using this opportunity to encourage other journalists in the state to be patriotic citizens and stimulator of development. The Pen, they say, is mightier than the sword; therefore, as mightier as it is, its influence can bring about positive impact and it can also be deployed to the Uncommon Transformation of the state. So that Akwa Ibom State will be a better place for us all. Q: Thank you Sir for your time! A: You are welcome!
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 10:36:28 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015