UDOM EMMANUEL: BEYOND THE VEIL OF POLITICS By Aniekeme Finbarr Every society has its peculiar political sensibilities and leadership requirements. That is why every political community takes responsilibily for any kind of leadership it throws up. A leader is a fair reflection of his community and the political community can only get what it deserves. Therefore, Akwa Ibom State, an emerging state on a fast lane spewing forth cutting-edge developmental projects with huge investment opportunities abounding in aviation, tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, commerce, sports and much more requires no less a cutting-edge mind that can discern and analyze trends, inculcate core values and flow on the brilliant crest of the peoples enchanting waves to a berth that is unique and economical viable and which stirs both individual and state growth at the socio-economic spheres. That leader for the umpteenth time is Udom Emmanuel, a thorough home grown mind with a comprehensive world view, backed by hard boiled years of professional competence with strong bias for profit maximization. Development is a non stop phenomenon and it flows in stages. In the past 15 years, the administrations of Arc Victor Attah and Barr Godswill Akpabio have laid a sustainable foundation for the development of Akwa Ibom State with the sole aim of creating an empowered populace-prosperous, highly educated, technologically driven, ethnically harmonious and a private sector-driven economy acting as a catalyst to Nigeria`s industrial revolution. Both administrations have carved out various blueprints and strived to build basic foundational structures. What should the next phase be? We are in the 21 st century ; an era of breathtaking technology and revolutionary growth in some parts of the world. The age calls for well prepared leaders (like Udom Emmanuel) who will think outside the box to maximize scarce resources. Models of development abound that can guide us in mapping a formidable trajectory of development. Reformist leaders in China set -up the first special economic zone and industrial park in Shenzhen near Hong Kong in 1980 , the Shenzhen initiative has since then unleashed a developmental revolution which has made China the 2 nd largest economy in the world and reduced the number of people living in poverty by more than 500 million between 1981 and 2007 according to a World Bank report . What is more spectacular however is that China achieved this feat through industrialisation policies that saw to the setting up of cluster industrial parks with special incentives where goods such as shoes , handbags, furniture, plastics , toys , clothes and other low tech goods are produced. These are not ideas vain politics can throw up. Ideas like these can only stem from minds like Udom Emmanuel who has been actively involved in the Nigerian economy and beyond, a background in accounting with decades of experience in one of the nations apex bank. Akwa Ibom cannot afford to play politics with its future with this rain of oil money descending increasingly. Certain discussions concerning 2015 should be relegated for the real issues of development to be discussed. Many politicians are naturally uncomfortable when these hard core issues are advanced. They would rather hang around successive governments, gained fabulous contracts, build a few hotels and filling stations, run them down and snoop around for the next opening. These are the class of people who say Udom Emmanuel is not a politician. Must Udom know the over 5 million Akwa Ibom people by name before he can throw his hat into the ring? That is most unfair for a man who grew up here, had his basic education at home and is constantly in touch with the government and his people over the years. How many of the today politicians had a voice in politics ten years ago? What does it mean when it is said a politician is not generous? That he should line up citizens in a crude fashion and physically distribute money? Or make fantastic donations from the treasury indiscriminately? This is a phase we must out grow. The world outside is moving fast, we cannot be left behind. The next Governor of Akwa Ibom should be a man prudent with resources and not afraid to engage the best hands across all fields. I see Udom Emmanuel as that kind of leader who can shoulder the responsibility of assembling the best brains, experts and ideas to lead and drive the industrialisation and modernisation initiative . In that regards, he will fancy an economic development council that will oversee economic planning with emphasis on job creation, continous infrastructure modernisation and the setting up of special economic zones / self serviced industrial parks . The special economic zones / self serviced industrial parks will, in the immediate short term, aim for the mass production of low tech or soft- goods such as footwear/ shoes, bags , toys , furniture, beddings ,cushions , mattresses , baby carriages , clothing/ textiles , garments ,undergarments / pants , socks , brassieres , plastics , toiletries, pharmaceuticals , agro- allied products/ food processing and others for local consumption and export. Vigorous training programs would be undertaken for youths to acquire relevant skills for the mass production of goods . Its a step to create jobs. In the long term, high tech goods such as machineries, electrical , auto parts and others will be integrated into the industrialisation initiative. Thats better than mere cottage industries flung around the state. The economic development council will be made up of seasoned experts and technocrats to be chaired by an expert and technocrat of high repute. This formidable team of technocrats will formulate policies and drive initiatives on all spheres of development. Governance is about strategic planning and excellent application of resources. And in no less a time, we are heading towards China. Udom Emmanuel is a thorough technocrat with the welfare of his people at heart. He will fancy too a fundamental approach to tackling poverty and youth unemployment which must begin with social engineering. This implies the biometric registration of all unemployed youths between the ages of 18 and 45 years of age who are neither in school , apprenticeship or self employment and who are resident in the state , and the setting up of unemployment offices in each of the three senatorial zones . Registration will make it possible for the government use some of the youths for purposes of direct labour , while some will be sent for vocational training programs and those who might have had some apprenticeship training will benefit from grants which will help them to set -up business in their area of training . Registration will also make it possible to mobilise resources by appealing to international aid organisations , private individuals , the federal government , religious organisations and other charities and philanthropists that will help to fund the training programs , provision of grants and other initiatives that may be undertaken to address youth unemployment . As part of the strategy to tackle youth unemployment , the government would urgently set up vocational training centres in all the local government areas of the state to facilitate vocational training programs in different skills for youths across the state . The skills will make it possible for the youths to go into employment or to become self employed. At a recent seminar organized by the Bureau of Political and Legislative Affairs, Udom Emmanuel said: “the action word should be a sustainable development. What will interest me to park like ten cars in my house while a lot of people in my community are trekking? So we need somebody that has the interest of the people at heart. Let’s try to remain focus. We need to change certain equations. I want to see this state in the next few years where our graduates will leave school and a petrochemical industry is somewhere for them to work. I want to see one or two industries somewhere.” That is the kind of man we need. I submit that Udom Emmanuel deserves to be assessed fairly on the basis of his competence, character, disposition, track records, deep faith in God and the sacred fact that it is the turn of that part of the state to produce the next Governor. 2015 is beyond mere politics.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 08:30:19 +0000