THE GOVERNOR GODSWILL OBOT AKPABIO THAT I KNOW. BY TOROBONG EKPO 08093418330 (TEXT ONLY) I had listened with a mixture of consideration, remorse and sympathy as a former commissioner from Uyo Senatorial District narrated his ordeal in the hands of the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio, to pressmen. ‘Gentlemen, on three different occasions during the State Executive Council meeting, the Governor, before my then colleagues, urged me to resign from the University, the state executive council and contest for the House of Representative in my Federal Constituency, assuring me of his support. “I would not have taken such a risk of resigning from the Higher Institution if I knew it was a decoy.” From his tone, one would easily notice that prior to his appointment as a commissioner he had a good source of livelihood. He was a full time university don. He became a professor at a very tender age, in fact, the youngest professor from his Local Government Area. He thought of Governor Akpabio as the alpha and omega. With a mindset that said: “no weapon formed against me on the election ground shall prosper.” But unfortunately, he ended up being a looser at the poll; and at present he is in court battling for the removal of the incumbent member of House of Representative on the ground that he was the winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries. He cannot go back and lecture as a fulltime staff in the university since he had already resigned his appointment. Rather he has pleaded with the management of the institution to employ him as an adjunct staff. A source at the university said that the management has re-employed him as an adjunct staff, he is no more entitle to the huge gratuity and other allowances accorded a full fledge staff after retirement. I could also recalled vividly another incident at the Ibom Hall Ground, how the same hope giver, our dear Governor Akpabio, assured a former Senator from Uyo Senatorial District of his support for third term and even likened him to Atama soup which gets sweeter on a geometric progressive bases. The Senator ended up losing his third term bid even with the moral support of the Governor. The State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, means different thing to different people, depending on the manner and mode he has affected one’s life. To that woman at Etim Ekpo local government Area who stood naked and spread her wrapper on the street during a road project commissioning in the area. From her action, it portrays the Governor as a messiah. Natives and visitors of this state call him Uncommon Transformer, Digital Governor, Pacesetter, Icon of Hope, Prince of Ado Ok land, among others. Some people who see his inability to establish 31 industries, one per local government area as promised during his second term campaign, describe him as a liar. Those that felt they had a genuine law case regarding the 2011 elections calls him a thief by saying that, ‘he stole their mandate’. However, whatever name people choose to call the State Governor, it is obvious that, no matter the amount of good one does on this planet, everybody can never like such person; while some will call such person the Messiah, others will label the person a fool, ingrate, thief and so on. Jesus the source of Christianity had similar experience on earth; however, we should live a life worthy of emulation at all times. If I am asking to describe the third Civilian Governor of the State in one sentence, I will say that he is a generous lad that is capable of doing anything. I doubt if he has ever indulge in nefarious activities such as stealing, kidnapping, assassination as speculated by some political thugs and miscreants, but from a distance, he seems to be a young man whose action can surprise all and sundry at anytime. The Governor Akpabio that I know is a leader par excellence. He listens to the wishes of the electorates and the entire residents of the state and he does not impose his preferred candidate on the populace. It is uncommon to see, Governor Akpabio imposing his personal interest on the people. Maybe the Governor would have loved his former commissioner to be the next National Assembly member, or his friend to go for a third term, but the electorates views differ from his. To me, the State Governor is not the kind of man any governorship aspirant should rely upon as he is capable of dropping such a person at the expense of the electorates. Some technocrats and supporters of a self acclaimed politician, who were following the body languages of the Governor, have testimonies in this direction. Rather than relying on the Governor, an ambitious governorship aspirant in the forth coming gubernatorial elections should canvass for votes from electorates because Governor Akpabio that I know will not impose a candidate on Akwa Ibom people but he will align strictly on the votes of electorates. Pundits believe that, the State Governor will not be able to produce a successor. Yes! I concur, Governor Akpabio that I know shall never produce a successor if he imposes his wish on the people. But if he allows the people to decide, I can assure you that, he will produce a successor. The first Civilian Governor from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district since the creation of the state will never anoint anybody for governorship. It beats my imagination when politicians accused Governor Akpabio of trying to inflict the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) on Akwa Ibom people. A political scientist argued that since the Governor does not want a certain Commissioner from Abak Five Division to join financial muscle with the former SSG and struggle the Ikot Ekpene senatorial seat with him, he has promise the Commissioner a deputy governorship slot under SSG Udom Emmanuel as Governor. Anyway, I opine that the Governor Akpabio that I know will never anoint a candidate. He will allow the party to decide. As the electioneering period beckons, the State Governor, from my perceived view is a man who is conscious of saboteurs and political jobbers. He knows that, after the expiration of his tenure, some mischief politicians will blackmail him with a view of becoming a Special Adviser and later a Commissioner. Others will move a motion to ‘recall’ him in order to be a member of a State Executive Council. So he is not nervous, he will rather allow the wish of the people to be sacrosanct. The Governor Akpabio that I know is aware that the wishes of the people lie in Eket Senatorial District in producing the next occupier of Hilltop Mansion hence, will never thwart nor tamper with their choice. The Governor Akpabio that I know is aware that, Ibibio or Oro factor in the forth coming gubernatorial election will only promote disunity, rancor, anarchy and undue tension in the senatorial district, hence, will allow the entire people of the Senatorial District and the entire State to decide. The Governor Akpabio that I know is aware that Uyo Senatorial District, which has Ibibio tribe as majority, is overdue for Deputy Governorship seat. Hence, the Governor Akpabio that I know will not promote sentiment by allowing Ibibio to deputize Ibibio in the next administration. Finally, the Governor Akpabio that I know, who has been following the political trend, is conscious of the fact that Oro Nation traditionally deserves the Eket Senatorial Seat in the forthcoming race and so will put all modalities to ensuring that they produce the first ever senator from the district since the creation of Akwa Ibom State. The Governor Akpabio that I know is a man of proven integrity.
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 09:44:45 +0000
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