UDOMS DECLARATION & GOV AKPABIO’S ONE MILLION NAIRA POT OF SOUP The last time I cooked was about six years ago. I made beans and white rice. I wanted to prove to my children that it isn’t only mummy that cooks. So this day mummy left early for her degree exams I took the initiative. The beans was stubborn and didn’t get done until mummy returned. To my greatest surprise she stopped the children from enjoying the beans as soon as she tasted it. Too much Maggie she complained. But in truth it was only five cubes I used for a one and half cup of beans. She also complained of being too pepperish which I thought was unfair since it was only N300 naira worth of pepper that I used. I ended up eating my beans alone, not without watery nose from peper. If my children ever formed opinion about daddy’s cooking skills they won’t do same if they ate Gov Akpabio’s soup code named “uncommon transformation”. A pot of soup that cost a million naira to prepare needs no skills. This much was emphasized during Udom Emmanuel’s declaration for governorship on 21/10/2014. Flavor the renowned artist stole the show and announced on behalf of the Akpabio’s administration that “Better soup na money kill-am”. Akwa Ibom kpekekpeke nya! Adada! No cooking skills required. Money does the cooking. Udom Emmanuel’s promoters had told the public repeatedly that one of the virtues Udom would be bringing on the table is prudence. This they claimed is based on his banking background as bankers are generally known for conservatism. Not this time. Udom surfaced in pageantry and pomp like any other politician. There was no sign of “uncommon prudence” in his outing. AIT not AKBC nor NTA Uyo covered the event which lasted over 5 hours. Like Flavor sang “better soup na money killam”. The question is whose money killed this one? Tax payers or the Akpabios? God knows. Given the tenacity with which Gov Akpabio pursued his Udom Emmanuel’s succession choice one is forced to take a second look at the Udom Emmanuel himself. Many people were curious to find out what makes Gov Akpabio so bent on this project. Many didn’t know Udom more than what they have read about him mostly on social networks. This declaration was therefore an opportunity for Udom to introduce himself – he failed. He turned out so ordinary like any other everyday politician. Like one of them, his speech turned out bland and waxed with lies and false praises. He claimed Akwa Ibom is an economic hub. Hear him: “The State has been transformed from the pedestrian destination that nobody ever considered visiting, to a must-see wonder of infrastructure development, a prized destination, an economic hub and recreational get-away”. It is either he doesn’t know what an economic hub is or he is exhibiting the normal bland campaign rhetorics associated with hypocritical politicians. Aba can be described as an economic hub; so is Onitsha, Lagos and Port Harcourt. Certainly not Uyo or anywhere in Akwa Ibom for now. Except he wanted to say he would make the state an economic hub if voted. But from the quote above that wasn’t his intention. Over 70% of goods consumed in the state come from outside the state – Lagos, Onitsha, Abakiliki, Aba etc. Items as common as everyday foods are shipped mostly from Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue and other Northern states. 80% of materials used for road construction and other purposes come from Akamkpa in Cross River, NNPC Depot is at Calabar and Port Harcourt. No industries, no sea port, except as airport still under development. ExxonMobil’s Head Office is in Lagos. So what makes this place an economics hub? Not understanding a problem presupposes inabilities to solve it. While not expecting him to criticize “The Uncommon Transformation” program of his master, I expected him to identify some areas of weaknesses which has had palpable adverse economic effects and state in clear terms what improvement he would apply. This was what I fear he would do. I would have been proven wrong having always pointed out that Udom has little to offer. I was vindicated. He rightly identified the focus of the the “uncommon transformation Agenda as five (5) broad areas of Social Infrastructure, Educational Infrastructure, Commerce and Tourism Infrastructure, Medical Infrastructure and Sporting Infrastructure. He however failed to identify the symmetric poverty and worsening income inequality which is associated with the implementation of this agenda. In order words the agenda was anti-poor. For instance there are three basic human needs of food, clothing and shelter. At the core of the needs of the Akwa Ibom people are food and shelter. Akpabio is not known to have commissioned any low cost housing projects nor any housing scheme at all during his seven years “media-friendly” regime. Nor has he embarked upon any deliberate program to address food security. Of all the years Udom lived in Lagos he didn’t as much as come across the life-touching Jakande Estates and others of its type across the globe he claimed to have trotted. Therefore it didn’t form part of his purported eight point agenda if elected. Udom claimed that Akwa Ibom State currently parades some of the best commerce and tourism infrastructure in the country and indeed West Africa. Believe me this man was referring to 3 hotels. Hear him: “starting from our breath-taking golf course at the Five Star Ibom Meridien Hotel to the Tropicana Complex, the 4 Points Sheraton Hotel under construction in Ikot Ekpene”. It doesn’t occur to him that something must attract people to an area before they can patronize hotels. This is the kind of thinking that has left our people jobless, homeless and hungry over the last 7 years while the government spent billions in building “Mega-Cinema” halls at Tropicana and received multi awards from a corrupt press. Somebody should help explain to him that Ibeno beach, Oron National Museum etc are tourism sites that need to be developed – not hotels. If however a place is highly productive like China for instance, people could also be attracted there and in the process they patronize hotels. It is the volume of traffic to a destination that engenders private enterpreneurs not government to build and mange hotels. Nobody would leave his place and travel to Uyo or Ikot Ekpene just to view 5 or 4 Star hotel. All these point to what I have always said in this forum. I have no problems with Udom as a person but we are in the process of selecting our next governor. Based on Gov Akpabio’s support Udom stands a good chance of being selected. It is therefore my painful duty to contribute by pointing what the crowd may miss. According to Galileo there is little wisdom in the crowd. Especially a crowd like Akwa Ibom which hunger and deprivation have pushed to the point of surrender. I must tell them Udom is a good manager. If what we need from 2015 is somebody to imitate (or what they call consolidate) on Gov Akpabio’s million naira pot of soup “uncommon transformation” then Udom is our man. Because for that Udom has what it takes. But if we are looking for someone to take us to a whole new horizon in terms of development and living standards then kindly leave Udom alone. I dare say he may not have the creativity to fashion the new direction. No harm intended. Udom worked in the bank for over 25 years. No leader would have that patience. Leaders are creatively impatient. Nsima Ekere resigned as deputy governor because as a second he must have felt creatively choked. A manager is a copy; a leader is original – in terms of ideas, inventiveness, innovation and perspectives. Udom succeeded so well in banking because he has the ability to focus on systems and structures. Leadership is different; it focuses on people. As SSG Umana O. Umana inspired people to the extent that worried his principal – Akpabio. Barr Okpo was too creatively impatient to as much as applied for a job. He set out on his own and today is a massive employer of labor. The only lady in the governorship race, Sen Esuene was left behind by a husband who died too early. The inventiveness in her went to work creating economic infrastructures that made her a gold fish. Today her salary bills equates some government parastatals. This has provided livelihood to homes. Need I say more? Nothing in Udom’s agenda as presented challenged the status quo. Therefore if elected we may be in for another 8 years of analysis of Poverty Bias of Growth (PBG). If we are looking for the classic soldier (manager) who “does things right” by ensuring the status quo is efficiently maintained, then UDOM IS RIGHT. But if we want a leader who “does the right thing” by creatively innovating and navigating into a whole new horizon UDOM IS WRONG. James Abang Writes From Atte Okiuso Village, UrueOffong/Oruko LGA (08037277620 SMS)
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 11:24:21 +0000
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